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Nathaniel Chalobah

Chalobah training with Chelsea in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Nathaniel Nyakie Chalobah
Date of birth	(1994-12-12) 12 December 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth	Freetown, Sierra Leone
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.87 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder / Defender
Team information
Current team	Watford
Number	14
Youth career
2004–2005	Fulham
2005–2010	Chelsea
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–2017	Chelsea	10	(0)
2012–2013	→ Watford (loan)	38	(5)
2013–2014	→ Nottingham Forest (loan)	12	(2)
2014	→ Middlesbrough (loan)	19	(1)
2014–2015	→ Burnley (loan)	4	(0)
2015	→ Reading (loan)	15	(1)
2015–2016	→ Napoli (loan)	5	(0)
2017–	Watford	6	(0)
International career
2008–2009	England U16	6	(0)
2009–2011	England U17	34	(1)
2011–2012	England U19	13	(2)
2014	England U20	4	(0)
2012–2017	England U21	40	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:59, 14 May 2018 (UTC)

Nathaniel Nyakie Chalobah (born 12 December 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or a defender for Premier League club Watford.

Club career

Chelsea

After initially joining the academy system at Fulham, Chalobah moved to the Chelsea academy at the age of 10. During the 2010–11 season, he featured for Chelsea reserves while still a schoolboy, winning the national championship with the team that season. In 2011–12, Chalobah regularly captained both Chelsea's reserve and youth teams, and led the 2012 FA Youth Cup winning team. He signed a professional contract with Chelsea in January 2012 shortly after turning 17, lasting until summer 2014. He was an unused substitute for the Chelsea first-team at the age of 15, in their League Cup clash against Newcastle and traveled with them to the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final in Munich, which Chelsea won. On 30 August 2013, Chalobah signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea, stating that he wishes to stay at Chelsea for his entire career.

Loan to Watford

Chalobah signed on loan for Championship club Watford on 31 August 2012 until January 2013. He made his first-team debut for the club on 18 September 2012 against Brighton & Hove Albion, coming on as 73rd-minute substitute for Fernando Forestieri. He later made his first start, lasting the full 90 minutes in Watford's 2–2 draw with Bristol City on 23 September. On 17 November, Chalobah scored his first goal for Watford in a 2–1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. He scored his second goal for Watford in a 1–1 draw against Burnley, on 15 December, with a fine volley from the edge of the box.

On 2 January 2013, Chalobah extended his loan at Watford until the end of the 2012–13 season. In April, he scored his fifth goal of the season with a 30-yard shot that Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel said he never saw; Watford won 2–1.

Chalobah played for Watford as they reached the 2013 Championship play-off Final, in which they were defeated 1–0 by Crystal Palace.

Loan to Nottingham Forest

On 19 September 2013 Chalobah signed a loan deal with Nottingham Forest until 15 January 2014. Manager Billy Davies remarked upon his arrival, "He's a tremendous young talent." Chalobah made his debut from the start in Forest's trip to Doncaster Rovers on 21 September 2013. On 5 October 2013, Chalobah was sent off after a second booking in the 67th minute after already picking up a yellow in the first half during the away match against Brighton & Hove Albion. Though Forest were down to 10 men, they saw out a 3–1 victory. Chalobah scored his first Forest goal in a 3–1 defeat away to Yeovil Town on 26 October 2013.

Loan to Middlesbrough

On 16 January 2014, Chalobah joined Middlesbrough on loan for the remainder of the 2013–14 season. On 25 January 2014, Chalobah made his debut against Leicester City, coming off the bench in the 77th minute to replace Emmanuel Ledesma. The match ended in a 2–0 loss for Middlesbrough. Chalobah made his first start on 1 February 2014, in a match against Doncaster Rovers which ended in a 0–0 draw. On 5 April 2014, Chalobah scored his first Boro goal in a 1–0 win at home to Derby County.

Loan to Burnley

On 1 September 2014, Chalobah joined Premier League newcomers Burnley on loan from Chelsea until 2 January 2015. On 28 September 2014, Chalobah made his debut as a first-half substitute against West Bromwich Albion, although he could not prevent Burnley from losing 4–0. On 30 September, Chalobah suffered an injury after being hit with an elbow in the throat in a Burnley U21s match, which caused a cartilage to fracture. Chalobah returned to the pitch for the first team on 18 October 2014 against West Ham United. On 1 November 2014, Chalobah played his last match for Burnley against Arsenal, which ended in a 3–0 loss.

Chalobah was unable to break into the first team at Burnley and returned to Chelsea when the loan ended on 2 January 2015. During his time with Burnley, Chalobah only made 4 substitute appearances with a total of 65 minutes on the pitch.

Loan to Reading

On 22 January 2015, Chalobah joined Championship club Reading on loan for the remainder of the season. On 24 January 2015, Chalobah made his debut in a FA Cup match against Cardiff City, as the team won 2–1 to advance into the fifth round. Three days later, Chalobah made his league debut against Millwall.

On 31 January 2015, in his home debut, Chalobah scored the second of a 2–0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday, helping the Royals to their first league win since December. During his time with Reading, Chalobah made a total of 20 appearances and started in every appearance.

Loan to Napoli

On 1 September 2015, Italian club Napoli confirmed that Chalobah had joined the club on a season long loan from Chelsea. On 1 October 2015, Chalobah made his Napoli debut in a UEFA Europa League tie against Legia Warsaw. The fixture resulted in a 2–0 victory for the Italian team, with Chalobah featuring for five minutes after replacing Allan. On 26 November 2015, Chalobah was given his first Napoli start in a 1–0 victory over Club Brugge in the UEFA Europa League group stage tie. On 10 December 2015, Chalobah scored his first Napoli goal in a 5–2 win over Legia Warsaw, scoring Napoli's first. On 6 January 2016, Chalobah finally made his Serie A debut in a 2–1 victory against Torino, replacing Marek Hamšík in the 89th minute.

Chalobah went on to make four more league appearances for Napoli before returning to Chelsea at the end of the campaign.

2016–17 season

In the summer of 2016, Chelsea rejected loan offers for Chalobah after new manager Antonio Conte had been impressed with Chalobah in pre-season, deciding that he should remain as part of Chelsea's first-team group. Chalobah made his first-team debut on 20 September 2016, when he came off the bench to replace Michy Batshuayi in the 79th minute of a 4–2 win over Leicester City to advance to the Fourth round of the EFL Cup. On 15 October 2016, on his second league appearance for Chelsea, Chalobah provided a back-heel pass to play Victor Moses through for the third goal in a 3–0 victory over Leicester City.

Return to Watford

On 13 July 2017, Chalobah signed for Premier League club Watford on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee. On 26 September 2017, Chalobah was reported to have suffered a knee injury in a training session and was expected to have surgery.

International career

Chalobah made his England under-16 debut at the age of 13 in October 2008, and his England under-17 debut aged 14 in July 2009. He won the 2010 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and later captaining the team at the age of 15. Chalobah made his England under-19 debut in September 2011., and went on to captain them until 8 November 2012 when he was called up to the England under-21 squad for a match against Northern Ireland. Chalobah made his England Under-21 debut on 13 November 2012, replacing Jordan Henderson in the 76th minute.

Chalobah is also eligible to play for Sierra Leone, the country where he was born, but has stated that he has a strong affiliation to England, the country of his upbringing.

In August 2017, Chalobah was named in the England squad for the first time for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia.

Style of play

Chalobah is well known for his versatility, work-rate, and fitness levels, both in defending and attacking sense. He is described as, "Tall, athletic and can operate in either midfield or defence, being notably quick in the tackle."

Personal life

Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Chalobah moved to England at the age of seven and grew up in Gipsy Hill in the London Borough of Lambeth. He played football for the first time at the age of nine. Chalobah attended St Andrews R.C. Primary school and further studied at Bishop Thomas Grant School in Streatham, South London. His younger brother Trevoh joined Chelsea as an Under-9 and has been capped by England up to U19 level.

Career statistics

As of the end of the 2017–18 season

1. Appearances in Championship play-offs
2. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Chelsea

• Premier League: 2016–17

England U17

• UEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2010

England U21

• Toulon Tournament: 2016

Individual

• England Men's Youth Player of the Year: 2013
• Football League Young Player of the Month: May 2013

References

1. ^ "Nathaniel Chalobah". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
2. ^ "N. Chalobah". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
3. ^ Sam Wallace (24 June 2014). "Chelsea youngster Nathaniel Chalobah hoping to be part of Jose Mourinho's own 'Class of 92'". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
4. ^ "Nathaniel Chalobah" Archived 5 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Chelsea F.C. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
5. Dawkes, Phil (18 September 2012). "MATCH REPORT: Chelsea 3–4 Newcastle". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
6. "Chalobah signs until 2018". Chelsea F.C. 30 August 2013. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
7. "Official: Chelsea's Chalobah Signs". Watford F.C. 31 August 2012. Archived from the original on 27 February 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
8. "MATCH REPORT: Watford 0–1 Brighton". Watford F.C. 18 September 2012. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
9. "Brighton 2–2 Watford". BBC Sport. 17 April 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
10. "Watford 2–1 Wolves". BBC Sport. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
11. "Burnley 1–1 Watford". BBC Sport. 15 December 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
12. Moxley, Neil (26 April 2013). "Leicester 1 Watford 2: Screamer from Chelsea loan star Chalobah keeps Hull on edge". Daily Mail. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
13. ^ "Games played by Nathaniel Chalobah in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
14. "Chalobah loaned to Forest". Chelsea F.C. 20 September 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
15. "Chalobah 'A Tremendous Talent'". Nottingham Forest F.C. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
16. ^ "Games played by Nathaniel Chalobah in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
17. "Yeovil Town 3–1 Nottingham Forest". BBC Sport. 26 October 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
18. "Boro sign Nathaniel". Middlesbrough F.C. 16 January 2014.
19. "Result: Nathaniel Chalobah strike gives Middlesbrough win". Sports Mole. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
20. "Burnley loan for Chalobah | News | Official Site | Chelsea Football Club". Chelsea F.C. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
21. "Nathaniel Chalobah Fully Recovered From Throat Injury". 30 September 2014.
22. "Report: Nathaniel Chalobah taken to hospital with apparent throat injury". 30 September 2014.
23. "Nathaniel Chalobah returns to Chelsea as Sean Dyche admits he did not develop 'as much as he would have liked' at Burnley". Daily Mail. London. 2 January 2015.
24. "New loan for Chalobah". Chelsea F.C. 22 January 2015.
25. ^ "Games played by Nathaniel Chalobah in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
26. "Reading 2–0 Sheffield Wednesday". 31 January 2015.
27. "The footballer of Sierra Leone arrives on loan from Chelsea". Napoli S.S.C. 1 September 2015. Archived from the original on 3 September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
28. Pitt-Brooke, Jack (7 September 2016). "Chelsea transfer news: Antonio Conte turned down Leicester loan move for Nathaniel Chalobah last month". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
29. "Cesc Fabregas hits two in extra-time as Chelsea advance past Leicester". ESPN FC. 20 September 2016.
30. "Match report: Chelsea 3 Leicester City 0". Chelsea F.C. 15 October 2016.
31. "Nathaniel Chalobah: Watford sign midfielder from Chelsea on five-year deal". BBC Sport. 13 July 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
32. "Nathaniel Chalobah: Watford midfielder needs knee surgery". BBC Sport. 26 September 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
33. "Nathaniel Chalobah". The Football Association. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
34. . The Football Association. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
35. . The Football Association. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
36. "Nathaniel Chalobah's England call-up shows benefit of leaving Chelsea". The Guardian. London. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
37. "Nathaniel Chalobah". The Football Association. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
38. Magowan, Alistair (22 December 2015). "Football talent spotting: Are clubs getting it wrong with kids?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
39. "News Magazine of Bishop Thomas Grant School" (PDF). Bishop Thomas Grant School. 1 March 2013.
40. "Player profile: Trevoh Chalobah". Chelsea F.C. 21 July 2016.
41. "Games played by Nathaniel Chalobah in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
42. "Games played by Nathaniel Chalobah in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
43. "Games played by Nathaniel Chalobah in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
44. "Games played by Nathaniel Chalobah in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
45. "Games played by Nathaniel Chalobah in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
46. "Nathaniel Chalobah: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
47. "Coady's guide to England's champions". UEFA. 30 May 2010. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
48. Veevers, Nicholas (29 May 2016). "England under-21s lift Toulon title after win over France". The Football Association. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
49. "The website for the English football association, The FA Cup and The England football team – News". The Football Association. 3 February 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
50. Osborne, Chris (24 May 2013). "Watford's Nathaniel Chalobah wins Young Player of the Month". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 October 2016.

External links

• Nathaniel Chalobah profile at the Watford F.C. website
• Nathaniel Chalobah profile at the Football Association website
• Nathaniel Chalobah at Soccerbase

• Use dmy dates from March 2013
• 1994 births
• Living people
• Sportspeople from Freetown
• Sierra Leonean footballers
• English footballers
• England youth international footballers
• England under-21 international footballers
• Association football defenders
• Association football midfielders
• Fulham F.C. players
• Chelsea F.C. players
• Watford F.C. players
• Nottingham Forest F.C. players
• Middlesbrough F.C. players
• Burnley F.C. players
• Reading F.C. players
• S.S.C. Napoli players
• English Football League players
• Premier League players
• Serie A players
• English people of Sierra Leonean descent