Chituru Odunze’s long wait to debut for Leicester City’s Under-23 team ended on Monday with the American goalkeeper getting the nod between the posts.
Odunze impressed in a 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, making four saves and showing Under-23 head coach Steve Beaglehole what he can bring to the team long-term.
The 19-year-old had mainly featured for Leicester’s Under-21 this season, while also being on the bench for two Under-23 matches to date. Odunze kept his team alive until the dying moments of Monday’s PL 2 match, before unfortunately conceding a late equalizer.
Odunze made the switch to Leicester City in 2019 from the Vancouver Whitecaps and has also trained with Brendan Rodgers’ first team squad this season.
A former U.S. Under-17 National Team player, Odunze has also represented the Under-20’s before earning his first senior call up in November 2020. Odunze did not featuring in November friendlies against Wales or Panama, but he did get his first experience working with Gregg Berhalter and his staff.
The North Carolina-born goalkeeper will aim to follow up his debut by featuring in the Under-23’s next match on March 1st against Chelsea.
“Beaglehole”?! Really?
Surely that last name deserves an explanation and a story on “Finding Your Roots.” (-:
If you’ve ever owned a beagle, your yard would have been filled with beagleholes.
Henry Louis Gates is the man!!! All names are different to people around the world but when I see names like Shuttlesworth, Drinkwater, Shawcross, Longshew, Snoddgrass, Higginbottom, Beaglehole. I do wonder if their ancestry comes from the UK, England to be exact. I went to school at some point with 5 out of the 7 last names I mentioned. Some have same last name of a soccer player, but I can’t say I ever met a Beaglehole, though?!