| Odel Offiah | |
| Full Name: | Odeluga Joshua Offiah[1] |
| Birth Date: | 26 October 2002[2] |
| Birth Place: | Camden, England |
| Height: | 1.87m |
| Position: | Defender |
| Currentclub: | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| Clubnumber: | 49 |
| Youthyears1: | –2017 |
| Youthclubs1: | Bromley[3] |
| Youthyears2: | 2017–2023 |
| Youthclubs2: | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| Years1: | 2021– |
| Clubs1: | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| Caps1: | 6 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2023 |
| Clubs2: | → Heart of Midlothian (loan) |
| Caps2: | 5 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 15 May 2024 |
Odeluga Joshua "Odel" Offiah (born 26 October 2002) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for the academy of Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.
In his youth, Offiah was a member of the Bromley academy,[3] and in 2016 won the Kent Youth Cup with their U13 side before joining Brighton & Hove Albion's academy in 2017.[4] [3]
Offiah made his professional footballing debut on 24 August 2021, coming on as a 68th minute substitute for Taylor Richards in the 2–0 EFL Cup second round victory over Championship side Cardiff City.[5] He made his first start for the "Seagulls" on 8 January 2022, playing 55 minutes of the 2–1 – after extra-time – away win over West Bromwich Albion of the Championship in the FA Cup third round.[6] On 31 January, Offiah committed his future with Brighton by signing a new contract that runs until June 2024.[7]
Offiah was among the substitutes in Brighton's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley on 23 April 2023, where he remained on the bench in the eventual penalty shootout defeat.[8] He made his Premier League debut and first professional league match of his career three days later, coming on as 88th minute substitute for Albion goalscorer Facundo Buonanotte in the 3–1 away loss at Nottingham Forest.[9]
He made his first ever Premier League start vs Bournemouth on 28 April, 2024.
On 18 August 2023, Offiah signed a new contract with Brighton running until June 2025, whilst signing a season-long loan with Heart of Midlothian of the Scottish Premiership.[10] He made a goalscoring debut two days after signing, with a powerful header crashing in off the underside of the crossbar, scoring Hearts' second in the eventual 4–0 home win over Scottish Championship side Partick Thistle in the Scottish League Cup second round.[11] Offiah returned to Brighton in December 2023 following the termination of his loan spell.[12]
Offiah was born in Camden to Nigerian parents.[13] He is the nephew of former rugby league and rugby union player Martin Offiah and cousin of Tyler Offiah.[14]
| Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2021–22 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |||
| Brighton & Hove Albion U21 | 2021–22 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 2022–23 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| Heart of Midlothian (loan) | 2023–24 | Scottish Premiership | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | |
| Career total | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |||