| Dapo Mebude | |
| Fullname: | Adedapo Paul Oluwaseun Awokoya-Mebude[1] |
| Birth Date: | 29 July 2001 |
| Birth Place: | London, England |
| Height: | 1.89m |
| Position: | Winger, striker |
| Currentclub: | KV Oostende |
| Clubnumber: | 14 |
| Youthyears1: | 2011–2019 |
| Youthclubs1: | Rangers |
| Years1: | 2019–2021 |
| Clubs1: | Rangers |
| Caps1: | 1 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2021 |
| Clubs2: | → Queen of the South (loan) |
| Caps2: | 11 |
| Goals2: | 2 |
| Years3: | 2021–2022 |
| Clubs3: | Watford |
| Caps3: | 0 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2021–2022 |
| Clubs4: | → AFC Wimbledon (loan) |
| Caps4: | 25 |
| Goals4: | 2 |
| Years5: | 2022– |
| Clubs5: | KV Oostende |
| Caps5: | 7 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Nationalteam1: | Scotland U16 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2017–2018 |
| Nationalteam2: | Scotland U17 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 10 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 2 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2018 |
| Nationalteam3: | Scotland U18 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears4: | 2018–2020 |
| Nationalteam4: | Scotland U19 |
| Nationalcaps4: | 13 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 4 |
| Nationalyears5: | 2021– |
| Nationalteam5: | Scotland U21 |
| Nationalcaps5: | 3 |
| Nationalgoals5: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 19:05, 7 November 2023 (UTC) |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 12:32, 19 November 2021 (UTC) |
Adedapo Paul Oluwaseun Awokoya-Mebude (born 29 July 2001) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Belgian club KV Oostende.
Mebude was born in London,[2] growing up in Peckham, and is of Nigerian descent.[3] His family moved to Scotland when he was around 10 years old, and he joined the Rangers youth system after attending an open Soccer Schools event organised by the club.[4] [5] He was later a participant in the SFA's Performance School programme at Holyrood Secondary School,[6] and also attended Rangers' youth partnership school Boclair Academy.
Mebude turned professional with Rangers in May 2017.[7] Mebude signed a new contract with the club in December 2018, keeping him at Ibrox until 2021.[8] In February 2019 he was recalled from international duty with the Scotland under-19s to join up with the Rangers first team, due to injury problems.[9] Mebude debuted for the first-team on 19 May 2019, in a 2–1 away defeat versus Kilmarnock in the league.[10]
On 21 January 2021, Mebude joined Scottish Championship club Queen of the South on loan until the end of the season.[11] He scored his first professional goal, in a 4–2 league win at Gayfield Park versus Arbroath on 6 March 2021.[12]
In June 2021, Mebude ran out his contract with Rangers to become a free agent.[13] [5] A month later in July, he was signed by Watford on a two-year contract with the option of a further two-years.[14] [15] He suffered a back injury at the end of July 2021, and was hospitalised.[16] [17]
He moved on loan to AFC Wimbledon in August 2021.[18] [19] He scored his first goal for Wimbledon in a 3–3 draw against Bolton Wanderers on 14 August 2021.[20]
In September 2022 he signed for Belgian club KV Oostende.[21]
Mebude trained with Livingston in July 2024.[22]
Mebude has represented Scotland at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19 youth levels, and made his first under-21 appearance in October 2021 against Denmark.[7] [8] [9] [23]
In November 2018, he was described by the Daily Record as a "diminutive striker" who was "highly-rated within Ibrox" and that he was "known for his quick pace as well as his obvious finishing ability and is a handful for defenders with his trickery".[2] In a September 2019 interview, Mebude stated "When I play as a winger I try and be direct and score goals like Raheem Sterling who is fast, direct and a similar build to me."[24]
In February 2021 Mebude was one of five Rangers players fined by Scottish police "for attending an illegal gathering of ten people in a flat" in breach of lockdown rules during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[25]
Mebude was hospitalised in January 2024 following a car crash.[26]
His younger brother Dire is also a footballer, who plays for Championship club Bristol City, on loan from fellow Belgian side KVC Westerlo, and Scotland U21.[27]