Frederick Habib Yampabu Issaka (born 28 July 2006) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL Championship club Plymouth Argyle. He is a Wales under-19 international.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Frederick Habib Yampabu Issaka[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 28 July 2006 | ||
| Place of birth | Truro, England | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Plymouth Argyle | ||
| Number | 35 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2021 | Truro City | ||
| 2021–2022 | Plymouth Argyle | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022– | Plymouth Argyle | 6 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021 | England U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | Wales U17 | 10 | (1) |
| 2023– | Wales U19 | 4 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:33, 3 January 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:13, 22 October 2022 (UTC) | |||
Club career edit
Issaka became Plymouth Argyle's youngest ever player when he made his professional debut on 31 August 2021, when he featured off the bench in a 2–0 EFL Cup defeat to Newport County.[3] Aged just 15 years and 34 days, he broke the record previously set by Lee Phillips in 1996.
On 12 November 2022, Issaka made his league debut, appearing as a substitute in Plymouth Argyle's 1–1 EFL League One draw away to Lincoln City.
In July 2023 Issaka signed his first professional contract with Plymouth.[4]
International career edit
Born in England, Issaka is of Ghanaian, English and Welsh descent.[5] In September 2021, he was called-up by a Wales U16 training camp. The next month he was selected in the squad for their Victory Shield campaign.[6]
In December 2021, Issaka featured twice for England U16s, in a pair of friendlies at St George's Park vs Turkey U16s.[7][8]
In 2022 Issaka was again selected to represent Wales. In April he featured in an under-16 UEFA Development Tournament,[9] and in October playing for the under-17s in three UEFA Euro U17 Championship qualifiers, scoring in a 3–3 draw with Sweden.[10] In October 2023 Issaka was selected for the Wales Under 19 squad.[11]
Career statistics edit
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Plymouth Argyle | ||||||||||||
| 2021–22 | EFL League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5[a] | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | EFL Championship | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| Career total | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
- ^ a b Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
References edit
- ^ "Freddie Issaka". www.greensonscreen.co.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ "Freddie Issaka - Foreign Players of Ghanaian Descent". GhanaSoccernet. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ "Issaka makes Argyle history". www.pafc.co.uk. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ Issaka Plymouth pro deal
- ^ Fora, Clare (17 February 2022). "England will be beaten by Wales for 15-year-old star Freddie Issaka after becoming Plymouth's youngest player". Daily Nation. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ "Freddie's call up". www.pafc.co.uk. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ "Freddie starts for England". www.pafc.co.uk. 22 December 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ "England U16 v Turkey U16". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ "Issaka and Hatch star for Wales". www.pafc.co.uk. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ "Issaka and Hatch Star for Wales Under-17s". www.pafc.co.uk. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ Issaka Wales under-19
External links edit
- Freddie Issaka at Soccerbase
- Freddie Issaka at Soccerway