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Yemi Odubade (born 4 July 1984) is a Nigerian
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays as a striker for Southern League Premier Division club Gosport Borough. Odubade began his football career in England, playing in the Sussex County League for Eastbourne Town in 2002, where he scored over 70 times in two seasons at the
East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Su ...
club in all competitions. This attracted transfer interest from
Yeovil Town Yeovil Town may refer to: * Yeovil Town F.C., an English football team based in Yeovil, Somerset * Yeovil Town L.F.C. Bridgwater United Women's Football Club are an English women's association football club based in Bridgwater, Somerset who wer ...
, signing for the club in July 2004. At Yeovil, Odubade found first-team opportunities limited and left the club in February 2005 in order to join Eastbourne Borough. The following season, Odubade impressed
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and t ...
manager
Brian Talbot Brian Ernest Talbot (born 21 July 1953) is an English former football player and manager. He was capped six times for the England national team. Talbot played in midfield for Ipswich Town, Arsenal, Watford, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, ...
in two
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
ties whilst playing for Eastbourne Borough, and he joined the
League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
club two months later for a fee of £25,000. He spent three-and-a-half years at Oxford, playing 149 games. Odubade joined
Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevena ...
on a free transfer in May 2009, and helped Stevenage earn promotion to
the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
for the first time in the club's history, finishing as the club's top goalscorer during the season. In January 2011, Odubade signed for Newport County on
loan In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that d ...
, before joining
Conference Premier The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profess ...
club
Gateshead Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...
on a free transfer in June 2011. After spending two years at Gateshead, during which he spent a brief spell on loan at
Forest Green Rovers Forest Green Rovers Football Club are a professional football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. The team compete in , the third tier of the English football league system, and have played their home games at The New Lawn since ...
, he then joined
Eastleigh Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire, England, between Southampton and Winchester. It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh, with a population of 24,011 at the 2011 census. The town lies on the River Itchen, o ...
in May 2013. He spent three years at Eastleigh, helping the club win the
Conference South The National League South, formerly Conference South, is one of the second divisions of the National League in England, immediately below the top division National League. Along with National League North, it is in the second level of the N ...
in his first season. In September 2016, Odubade signed for Maidstone United of the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
and spent one year there before making a return to Eastbourne Borough in July 2017. An initial loan move to Weymouth in December 2018 was made permanent a month later, as the club secured the Southern League Premier South title in his first season there. After helping Weymouth earn promotion into the National League during the 2019–20 season, he signed for
Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...
in September 2020. His first season at Salisbury was curtailed due to restrictions associated with the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, before playing for the club during the first half of the 2021–22 season. A transfer to
Dorchester Town Dorchester Town Football Club are a semi-professional football club, based in Dorchester, Dorset, England. They currently play in the . The club is affiliated to the Dorset County Football Association and is a FA chartered Standard club. They ...
followed in February 2022, where he spent the remainder of that season. Odubade signed for AFC Totton of the Southern League Division One South ahead of the 2022–23 season.


Early life

Odubade was born in
Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
, Nigeria, but moved to England at a young age and grew up in
East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Su ...
. He attended The Bishop Bell School in
Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...
.


Career


Early career

Odubade began his football career in England, playing in the Sussex County League for Eastbourne Town in 2002. He scored over 70 times in two seasons at the
East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Su ...
club in all competitions, before attracting the attention of
Yeovil Town Yeovil Town may refer to: * Yeovil Town F.C., an English football team based in Yeovil, Somerset * Yeovil Town L.F.C. Bridgwater United Women's Football Club are an English women's association football club based in Bridgwater, Somerset who wer ...
manager
Gary Johnson Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) is an American businessman, author, and politician. He served as the 29th governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of the Republican Party. He was the Libertarian Party nominee for Presid ...
ahead of the 2004–05 season. He subsequently joined the club on a one-year contract on 29 July 2004 after a successful trial. He made his debut as a substitute for Yeovil in a 4–3 defeat against
Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...
in the
Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Leag ...
on 28 September 2004. Odubade made his second Yeovil appearance in a 3–1 victory away at
Histon Histon is a village and civil parish in the South Cambridgeshire district, in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is immediately north of Cambridge – and is separated from the city – by the A14 road (England), A14 road which r ...
in an
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
tie on 4 December 2004, scoring his only goal for the club in injury-time. He made a further four appearances for the club, before leaving Yeovil on 9 February 2005 due to personal reasons, and subsequently joined
Conference South The National League South, formerly Conference South, is one of the second divisions of the National League in England, immediately below the top division National League. Along with National League North, it is in the second level of the N ...
club Eastbourne Borough two days later. Odubade made his Eastbourne Borough debut in the club's 2–0 victory against
Basingstoke Town Basingstoke Town Football Club is a football club based in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. The club are currently members of the and play at the Winklebury Sports Complex. Their motto, 'Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum', means 'Never a step backward' ...
three days after signing for the club, playing 45 minutes of the match. Odubade scored five goals in his first three games for Eastbourne, as he scored a hat-trick in the club's 4–0 home victory against
Thurrock Thurrock () is a unitary authority area with borough status and unparished area in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The l ...
on 19 February 2005. He scored his last goal of the season in Eastbourne's 3–0 away win against Cambridge City in the play-off semi-finals on 7 May 2005, and was in the team that lost 2–1 to
Altrincham Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester city centre, southwest of Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2011 Census, it had a population o ...
in the final. Odubade made 17 appearances for Eastbourne during the second half of the 2004–05 season, scoring 13 times. Odubade opted to stay at Eastbourne Borough ahead of the 2005–06 season, and subsequently started in the club's first game of the season, scoring the only goal of the game in a 1–0 away win against Bishop's Stortford. After scoring three goals in the club's first five matches of the season, Odubade did not score again until November 2005 – scoring Eastbourne's goal in a 1–1 draw against Carshalton Athletic on 8 November 2005. Odubade made an impact in the club's FA Cup run during the same season, helping Eastbourne take
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and t ...
to a replay in November 2005. After impressing Oxford manager
Brian Talbot Brian Ernest Talbot (born 21 July 1953) is an English former football player and manager. He was capped six times for the England national team. Talbot played in midfield for Ipswich Town, Arsenal, Watford, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, ...
in the two ties, Odubade joined Oxford two months later for a fee of £25,000, on an 18-month contract, on 27 January 2006. On joining Oxford, Odubade said "It brings a tear to my eye just the thought of leaving Eastbourne. But I wanted to get back into the Football League and I just feel I am very lucky to have this second chance". In total, Odubade played 40 times for Eastbourne Borough in all competitions, scoring 20 goals.


Oxford United

Odubade made his debut a day after signing for the club, starting in a 3–0 defeat against
Rushden & Diamonds Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Nicknamed "The Diamonds", the club played at Nene Park. The club's main rivals were county neighbours Kettering Town. The cl ...
at
Nene Park Nene Park was a sports stadium situated at Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England, along the bank of the River Nene, which could accommodate 6,441 spectators, with 4,641 seated and 1,800 standing. It formerly hosted football matches but at ...
, but was substituted after just 33 minutes with Rushden three goals ahead. He scored his first goal for Oxford in a 2–1 loss away to
Wycombe Wanderers Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play their home ...
on 25 February 2006, having been substituted onto the pitch at half-time. Odubade played eight games throughout Oxford's 2005–06 season, scoring once, as the club were relegated to the
Conference National The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profes ...
. Under the new management of Jim Smith, Odubade started the 2006–07 season by appearing as a 60th-minute substitute in Oxford's 2–0 win against
Halifax Town FC Halifax Town is a professional association football club based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. They currently compete in and play at the Shay. They replaced Halifax Town A.F.C., which went into administration in the 2007–08 season. ...
. Odubade came on as a half-time substitute against
Dagenham & Redbridge Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club is a professional association football club based in Dagenham, Greater London, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Often known simply as Dag ...
on 15 August 2006, and scored the only goal of the game in the 57th minute. Odubade's first 15 appearances of the 2006–07 season were made as a substitute, and he started his first game of the season in Oxford's 1–1 draw against
Altrincham Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester city centre, southwest of Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2011 Census, it had a population o ...
on 14 October 2006. A week later, he was in the starting line-up once more, scoring twice in Oxford's 3–0 win against
Cambridge United Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They compete in EFL League one , the 3rd tier of the English football league system. The club is based at the Abbey Stadium on N ...
at the
Abbey Stadium Abbey Stadium is a association football, football stadium in Cambridge, England. It has been the home ground of Cambridge United F.C. since 1932, and currently has a maximum Seating capacity, capacity of 8,127 spectators. Cambridge Regional Coll ...
. A
brace Brace(s) or bracing may refer to: Medical * Orthopaedic brace, a device used to restrict or assist body movement ** Back brace, a device limiting motion of the spine *** Milwaukee brace, a kind of back brace used in the treatment of spinal cur ...
against Dagenham & Redbridge in a 2–2 draw on 26 March 2007 took Odubade's tally to 10 goals for the season. Oxford failed to gain promotion back to the Football League after losing on penalties to
Exeter City Exeter City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Exeter, Devon, England. The team play in , the third tier of the English football league system. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject to ...
in the play-offs, with Odubade scoring and assisting a goal during the two ties. He was voted Oxford's Player of the Year at the end of the season. Odubade scored 12 goals in 46 games during the season. He started in Oxford's first game of the 2007–08 season, a 1–0 home win against Forest Green Rovers, coming on at half-time. He scored his first goal of the season in the club's 2–1 away win at the
Pirelli Stadium Pirelli Stadium is an association football stadium on Princess Way in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was built in 2005 and is the current home of Burton Albion FC Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association foo ...
against
Burton Albion Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association football club in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club moved its home groun ...
on 19 August 2007, latching onto
Eddie Odhiambo Eddie Odhiambo-Anaclet (born 31 August 1985) is a Tanzanian former professional footballer who played as a defender. He was most recently manager of side North Leigh. Odhiambo began his career as a schoolboy with Oxford United, before moving ...
's cross to score from six yards. Odubade scored twice as Oxford raced into a three-goal lead against
Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...
on 11 October 2007 in an eventual 3–3 draw. Having not played in the first-team for three months, he was transfer-listed by manager
Darren Patterson Darren James Patterson (born 15 October 1969) is a Northern Irish football manager and former professional association football, footballer. As a player he was a Defender (association football), defender, notably playing in the Premier League ...
on 18 March 2008. Shortly after Odubade had been transfer-listed, Patterson stated that he had played his last game for the club, saying "I think the best thing for him and us is that we go our separate ways". However, just a week later, Odubade was told by Patterson that he "must start producing performances" if he wants to be taken off the transfer list. He was taken off the transfer list after scoring three goals in four games at the end of the season. Patterson said that Odubade was removed from the transfer list because "he's now putting in a shift" every game. He finished the season as Oxford's top goalscorer. Odubade played 43 games in all competitions, scoring 11 times as Oxford finished in ninth place. Odubade scored his first goal of the 2008–09 season against
Kettering Town Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at Latimer Park in Burton Latimer. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in ...
on 6 September 2008, coming on as a 64th-minute substitute and scoring eight minutes later from close range. He scored in a 3–0 win against Barrow on 14 February 2009, in what turned out to be his final goal for Oxford. Odubade played mainly off the substitutes' bench during the latter stages of the season, although did start in the final game of the season as Oxford lost 2–1 against Northwich Victoria on 26 April 2009. He scored seven times in 46 appearances, 25 games of which were as a substitute. In April 2009, new manager
Chris Wilder Christopher John Wilder (born 23 September 1967) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as a right-back. He was most recently the manager of club Middlesbrough ...
opted not to renew Odubade's contract at the Kassam Stadium due to "the financial terms in his contract", as well as him playing a peripheral role during the 2008–09 season, and the player was told he was allowed to leave the club on a free transfer. During his three and a half-year tenure at Oxford, Odubade made 149 appearances, scoring 33 goals.


Stevenage

Odubade signed for
Conference Premier The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profess ...
club
Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevena ...
on a free transfer on 14 May 2009. He made his debut for the club as a substitute in Stevenage's 1–1 draw with Tamworth in the opening game of the 2009–10 season on 8 August 2009. Odubade scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 defeat against his former employers,
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and t ...
, scoring from close range. Throughout November 2009, Odubade became a regular first-team starter in the Stevenage squad, scoring twice in games against
Gateshead Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...
and Chester City respectively. He also scored the club's solitary goal in a 2–1 defeat against
Ebbsfleet United Ebbsfleet United Football Club is a professional football club based in Northfleet, Kent, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the club competes in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1946 fr ...
on 2 December 2009, a game in which he was injured and was subsequently substituted at half-time. Odubade then returned to first-team action on Boxing Day to score a penalty against
Cambridge United Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They compete in EFL League one , the 3rd tier of the English football league system. The club is based at the Abbey Stadium on N ...
, as well as assisting the third goal in a 3–1 victory. He scored one and assisted two other goals in the reverse fixture at
Broadhall Way Broadhall Way, known as the Lamex Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is an association football stadium in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. It has been the home ground of Stevenage (formerly Stevenage Borough and Stevenage Town) since the early 1960s, an ...
six days later, in a 4–1 win. A brace against Mansfield Town on 9 February 2010 ensured his goal tally reached double figures in his first season at the club, helping the club come from a goal behind to win 3–1. A month later, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 home victory against Barrow. Odubade played 47 times during his first season at Stevenage, scoring 16 times and finished the season as the club's top goalscorer – a season in which the club won promotion to
the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
for the first time in their history after finishing as Conference Premier champions. Odubade played in the club's first ever Football League match at the start of the 2010–11 season, coming on as a 60th-minute substitute in a 2–2 draw with
Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional association football, football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was liquidation, wound-up after a High Court of Justice, High Court ruling on 16 September 2020. Initially kno ...
on 7 August 2010. Odubade scored his first goal of the season in the club's 1–1 home draw against
Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, that competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' because of ...
on 4 September 2010, scoring from close range to give Stevenage the lead. In January 2011, Odubade went on loan to Conference Premier club Newport County until the end of the 2010–11 season. He made his Newport debut in the club's televised 3–3 away draw against
Mansfield Town Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they play in a blue and ...
on 12 February 2011, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute in the match. Odubade made his first start for Newport in a 2–2 away draw against
Bath City Bath City Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Bath, Somerset, England. The club is affiliated to the Somerset FA and currently competes in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football. The club have ...
on 22 February 2011, scoring the club's first goal after 14 minutes. It was to be Odubade's only goal for Newport in the eleven appearances he made for the club, seven of which were as a substitute. He returned to his parent club on 17 May 2011.


Gateshead

Having been released by Stevenage at the end of the 2010–11 season, Odubade signed for Conference Premier club
Gateshead Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...
on 7 June 2011. He joined Gateshead on a free transfer, signing for the club alongside Eddie Odhiambo; the two had previously played alongside each other at Oxford United, Stevenage and Newport County. On joining Gateshead, Odubade said "I have parted company with Stevenage on good terms and this is now a new chapter for me. Gateshead is a good club that is moving in the right direction and I'm sure we can kick on next season. I don't look back with any regrets as things happen for a reason. I am always looking forward. Gateshead is a new challenge for me and I can only see good things coming from it". He made his Gateshead debut on 13 August 2011 in the club's 3–2 away win against
Kidderminster Harriers Kidderminster Harriers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England. The team compete in the National League North, at the sixth tier of the English football league system. Formed in ...
at Aggborough, assisting Kris Gate's goal in the 80th minute. Odubade scored his first goal for Gateshead three days later at
Gateshead International Stadium Gateshead International Stadium (GIS) is a multi-purpose, all-seater venue in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Originally known as the Gateshead Youth Stadium, the venue was built in 1955 at a cost of £30,000. It has since been extensively r ...
in Gateshead's 3–0 win against
Mansfield Town Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they play in a blue and ...
, which was voted Goal of the Season in the club's end of season awards. His first season at Gateshead was disrupted by two foot injuries midway through the season, with Odubade breaking his metatarsal bone on two occasions. Odubade made 34 appearances throughout the season, scoring seven times. He signed a one-year contract extension with Gateshead in May 2012. Having appeared 24 times for Gateshead during the first half of the 2012–13 season, of which eight were as a substitute, Odubade was loaned to Conference Premier club
Forest Green Rovers Forest Green Rovers Football Club are a professional football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. The team compete in , the third tier of the English football league system, and have played their home games at The New Lawn since ...
on 17 January 2013, for the remainder of the season. He made his debut on 19 January as a second-half substitute against
Stockport County Stockport County Football Club are a professional association football, football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they wer ...
, a game in which Forest Green lost 2–1. Odubade scored his first goal for Forest Green on 12 March 2013 in a 2–1 win over
Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Irish ...
. It proved to be his only goal during his time at Forest Green, making 14 appearances, all of which were in the league. Odubade returned to Gateshead following the conclusion of the 2012–13 season, and was one of seven players released by the club on 25 April 2013.


Eastleigh

Following his release from Gateshead, Odubade joined Conference South club
Eastleigh Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire, England, between Southampton and Winchester. It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh, with a population of 24,011 at the 2011 census. The town lies on the River Itchen, o ...
on a free transfer on 31 May 2013. On signing Odubade, Eastleigh manager Richard Hill stated – "I was impressed with his own personal ambition and his desire to be successful and Yemi opted to sign for Eastleigh as he wants to be with a club that hold the same ambitions". Odubade made his Eastleigh debut in the club's first match of the 2013–14 season, scoring the only goal of the game in a 1–0 victory over
Sutton United Sutton United Football Club is a professional football club in Sutton, South London, England, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. They play home games at Gander Green Lane in Sutton about 11 miles so ...
on 17 August 2013. He went on to score eight times in 39 appearances during the season as Eastleigh won promotion to the Conference Premier after finishing the season as Conference South champions. During the first half of the 2014–15 season, Odubade made 18 appearances, of which 16 were from the substitutes' bench, for newly promoted Eastleigh without registering a goal. He joined fellow Conference Premier club
Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement o ...
on loan on 31 January 2015, on an agreement until 25 April 2015. He made his Woking debut, on the same day his signing was announced, as a substitute, in a 3–0 win over
Alfreton Town Alfreton Town Football Club is a football club based in Alfreton, Derbyshire, England. The club are currently members of and play at North Street. History The club was formed in 1959 following the merger of Alfreton Miners Welfare and Alfr ...
. Odubade scored his first goal in the club's next match, a late consolation goal as Woking lost 2–1 at
Barnet Barnet may refer to: People *Barnet (surname) * Barnet (given name) Places United Kingdom *Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below. *East Barnet, a district of the borough below; an ...
. He became a regular starter during the loan spell, scoring seven times in 14 appearances as Woking finished outside of the play-off positions by three points. Odubade returned to Eastleigh at the end of April 2015, and played in both of the club's play-off semi-final matches, scoring in the first leg in an eventual 2–1 defeat to
Grimsby Town Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that in the 2022–23 season will compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system, following the victory in ...
. Having been out of favour for much of the previous season, Odubade played regularly for Eastleigh during the 2015–16 season and scored seven times in 44 appearances. He made just two appearances in the opening month of the 2016–17 season under new manager
Ronnie Moore Ronald David Moore (born 29 January 1953) is an English football manager and former player. He has taken charge of several clubs including Rotherham United, Tranmere Rovers and Hartlepool United. He played for many different clubs in a care ...
, and, on 9 September 2016, he left the club by mutual consent.


Maidstone United

Following his departure from Eastleigh, Odubade signed for
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
club Maidstone United on 17 September 2016. He made his debut on the same day his signing was announced, as a 73rd-minute substitute in a 1–1 draw with
Guiseley Guiseley ( ) is a town in metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated south of Otley and Menston and is now a north-western suburb of Leeds. It sits in t ...
. Odubade made his first start a week later, and scored twice in a 3–2 victory against
Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...
. Odubade scored an injury-time winning goal in a 1–0 victory against
Boreham Wood Borehamwood (, historically also Boreham Wood) is a town in southern Hertfordshire, England, from Charing Cross. Borehamwood has a population of 31,074, and is within the London commuter belt. The town's film and TV studios are commonly known ...
on 17 April 2017, a goal that ultimately secured Maidstone's survival in the National League. Odubade scored six times in 35 appearances in all competitions during the season. He discussed the possibility of remaining at Maidstone with manager Jay Saunders, who praised Odubade's attitude and work-rate, but it was mutually agreed that the player would leave the club with Odubade wanting to move to a club closer to where he lived.


Return to Eastbourne Borough

Ahead of the 2017–18 season, on 21 July 2017, Odubade rejoined
National League South The National League South, formerly Conference South, is one of the second divisions of the National League in England, immediately below the top division National League. Along with National League North, it is in the second level of the N ...
club Eastbourne Borough. Odubade made his second debut at Eastbourne Borough in the club's first game of the season, scoring the first goal of the match in an eventual 3–2 home defeat to
Braintree Town Braintree Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Braintree, Essex, England. They are currently members of and play at Cressing Road. History The club was formed on 24 September 1898 as Manor Works, the works team o ...
. He played 33 times during his first season back at Eastbourne and scored nine goals as the club finished in 18th place, four points above the relegation places. Odubade remained at Eastbourne for the first half of the 2018–19 season, although was predominantly used as a substitute with 14 of his 18 appearances coming from the substitutes' bench, scoring three goals.


Weymouth

Having been limited to substitute appearances at Eastbourne for the first half of the season, Odubade was loaned to Southern League Premier South club Weymouth on an initial one-month deal on 8 December 2018. He made his debut in a 4–0 win over Frome Town on the same day his signing was announced, and scored his first goal for the club three days later in a 3–1 defeat to Gosport Borough. Odubade was praised by manager
Mark Molesley Mark Clifford Molesley (born 11 March 1981) is an English association football, football manager and former professional player who is manager of Gosport Borough F.C., Gosport Borough. He played in the Football League for A.F.C. Bournemouth, Bo ...
for his performances during the loan spell and he went on to score three goals in seven appearances during the month. Following the conclusion of the loan agreement, Odubade joined the club on a permanent basis on 9 January 2019 after Weymouth supporters helped fund his contract extension for the remainder of the season. Odubade played regularly during the second half of the season, scoring eight times in 29 matches, including in the final game of the season as Weymouth secured the Southern League Premier South title after beating
Farnborough Farnborough may refer to: Australia * Farnborough, Queensland, a locality in the Shire of Livingstone United Kingdom * Farnborough, Hampshire, a town in the Rushmoor district of Hampshire, England ** Farnborough (Main) railway station, a railw ...
3–0 on 27 April 2019. Odubade described the goal as one of the most important goals of his career. He scored ten times in 36 appearances in Weymouth's first season back in the National League South. The season was suspended in March 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
and the play-off positions were decided on a points-per-game basis, with Weywmouth qualifying for the National League South play-off semi-finals after finishing in third place in the league standings. After entering the pitch as an 83rd-minute substitute in the club's play-off semi-final match against Dorking Wanderers on 25 July 2020, Odubade scored a 95th-minute injury-time winning goal to give Weymouth a 3–2 victory. Weymouth won promotion to the National League after defeating
Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock in ...
on a
penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pen ...
in the play-off final on 1 August 2020, with Odubade coming on as an 85th-minute substitute in the match. He was released by Weymouth on 7 September 2020, with the club stating Odubade would "be forever etched in the club's history for scoring two of the most important goals in their history".


Salisbury

After leaving Weymouth, Odubade signed for Southern League Premier South club
Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...
on 13 September 2020. He made one appearance for Salisbury during the 2020–21 season, in a 6–0 victory over
Tiverton Town Tiverton Town Football Club are an English football club based in Tiverton, Devon. The club are currently members of the and play at Ladysmead. History The club was established in 1913 as Tiverton Athletic, and initially played at the Athle ...
in the
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...
on 31 October 2020, before Salisbury's season was ultimately curtailed due to restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.


Dorchester Town

On 5 February 2022, Odubade signed for Southern League Premier Division South side
Dorchester Town Dorchester Town Football Club are a semi-professional football club, based in Dorchester, Dorset, England. They currently play in the . The club is affiliated to the Dorset County Football Association and is a FA chartered Standard club. They ...
.


AFC Totton

On 22 July 2022, Odubade signed for Southern League Division One South club
AFC Totton Amalgamated Football Club Totton is a football club based in Totton, Hampshire, England. The club is affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association and is an FA Standard Chartered club. They are currently members of the . History The club ...
.


Gosport Borough

On 17 February 2023, Odubade signed for Southern League Premier Division club Gosport Borough.


Style of play

Odubade is generally deployed as a striker, but has also been used as a winger. He believes that his best asset is his turn of
pace Pace or paces may refer to: Business *Pace (transit), a bus operator in the suburbs of Chicago, US * Pace Airlines, an American charter airline *Pace Foods, a maker of a popular brand of salsa sold in North America, owned by Campbell Soup Compan ...
, and that he is at his most dangerous when he is "running at opposition defences". He is predominantly right-footed, and scores the majority of his goals with his right foot, but is also comfortable using his left. During his time at Stevenage, manager
Graham Westley Graham Neil Westley (born 4 March 1968) is an English former professional footballer and manager who was most recently manager of League Two club Stevenage. Westley's playing career, spent mostly as a striker in non-League football, was curta ...
used Odubade as the
second striker Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
as part of a 4–4–2 formation sitting off the shoulder of the
centre forward Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
. Westley has also used him as part of a
4–3–3 In association football, the formation of a team refers to the position players take in relation to each other on a pitch. As association football is a fluid and fast-moving game, a player's position (with the exception of the goalkeeper) in a ...
formation, usually on the right side of a three-pronged attack. Odubade has been described as possessing "blistering pace", which was emphasised following two goals away at Crawley Town in March 2010, whereby his pace left the Crawley defence "in their tracks". Former Oxford United manager Darren Patterson said that Odubade needs "to work on his movement up front, and he's got to realise what his assets are and play to them".


Career statistics

:A.  The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals (including those as a substitute) in the
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...
,
Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Leag ...
,
Conference League Cup The Conference League Cup (formerly known as the Setanta Shield for sponsorship reasons, and before that the Bob Lord Trophy) was a football competition open to clubs playing in the Football Conference. History The competition was formed for ...
,
Sussex Senior Challenge Cup The Sussex Senior Cup is an annual association football knock-out cup competition for men's football clubs in the English county of Sussex and is the county senior cup of the Sussex FA. Its official name is the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup. F ...
and
play-offs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
.


Honours

Eastbourne Town * Sussex County League Division Two runner-up: 2002–03 * Sussex County League Division Two Cup runner-up: 2001–02 Stevenage *
Conference Premier The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profess ...
: 2009–10; *
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...
runner-up: 2009–10 Eastleigh *
Conference South The National League South, formerly Conference South, is one of the second divisions of the National League in England, immediately below the top division National League. Along with National League North, it is in the second level of the N ...
: 2013–14 Weymouth * Southern League Premier South: 2018–19 *
National League South The National League South, formerly Conference South, is one of the second divisions of the National League in England, immediately below the top division National League. Along with National League North, it is in the second level of the N ...
play-offs: 2019–20 Individual *
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and t ...
Player of the Season: 2006–07


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Odubade, Yemi 1984 births Living people Sportspeople from Lagos Nigerian footballers Association football forwards Eastbourne Town F.C. players Yeovil Town F.C. players Eastbourne Borough F.C. players Oxford United F.C. players Stevenage F.C. players Newport County A.F.C. players Gateshead F.C. players Forest Green Rovers F.C. players Eastleigh F.C. players Woking F.C. players Maidstone United F.C. players Weymouth F.C. players Salisbury F.C. players Dorchester Town F.C. players A.F.C. Totton players English Football League players National League (English football) players Southern Football League players Yoruba sportspeople People educated at Bishop Bell School