Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Kalu Uche | ||
Date of birth | 15 November 1982 | ||
Place of birth | Aba, Nigeria | ||
Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
Playing position | Forward / Midfielder | ||
Club information | |||
Current team
|
Almería | ||
Number | 20 | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1998 | Enyimba | ||
1999–2000 | Iwuanyanwu Nationale | ||
2000–2001 | Espanyol B | 2 | (0) |
2001–2005 | Wisła Kraków | 54 | (10) |
2004–2005 | → Bordeaux (loan) | 24 | (1) |
2005–2011 | Almería | 172 | (39) |
2011–2012 | Neuchâtel Xamax | 14 | (6) |
2012 | Espanyol | 15 | (6) |
2012–2013 | Kasımpaşa | 34 | (19) |
2013–2014 | El Jaish | 8 | (4) |
2014–2015 | Al Rayyan | 8 | (7) |
2015 | Levante | 16 | (5) |
2015 | Pune City | 11 | (4) |
2016 | Almería | 15 | (3) |
2017– | Almería | 1 | (0) |
National team‡ | |||
2003– | Nigeria | 36 | (5) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 5 March 2017. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 9 June 2012 |
Kalu Uche (born 15 November 1982) is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Spanish club UD Almería as a forward or an attacking midfielder.
He spent most of his professional career in Spain, mainly with Almería, with which he amassed La Liga totals of 117 games and 27 goals.
A Nigerian international in the 2000s, Uche represented his country at the 2010 World Cup.
Born in an Aba, Abia, Uche's career began in Nigeria with Enyimba International F.C. and Iwuanyanwu Nationale. In the 2000–01 season he joined RCD Espanyol B in Spain, failing to receive any first-team opportunities and competing with the reserves in the third division.
Uche then transferred to Wisła Kraków, playing there until 2005 – winning the Ekstraklasa three times and Polish Cup twice – except for the 2004–05 campaign when he represented FC Girondins de Bordeaux, on loan.
For 2005–06, Uche moved to UD Almería, and was instrumental in helping the Andalusia club to its first ever La Liga promotion in his second year, scoring eight league goals (with three in the last five matches). He made his debut in the competition on 26 August 2007, coming from the bench in a 3–0 away win against Deportivo de La Coruña.