Armstrong_Oko-Flex
Armstrong Oko-Flex
Irish association football player
Armstrong Inya Echezolachuku Oko-Flex (born 2 March 2002) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a winger for Swiss Super League club FC Zürich and the Republic of Ireland under-21 national team.
|
Oko-Flex with West Ham United in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Armstrong Inya Echezolachuku Oko-Flex[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (2002-03-02) 2 March 2002 (age 22) | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | FC Zürich | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2009 | Tolka Rovers | ||
| 2009–2013 | St Kevin's Boys | ||
| 2013–2018 | Arsenal | ||
| 2018–2021 | Celtic | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021 | Celtic | 2 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | West Ham United | 0 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | → Swansea City (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2023– | FC Zürich | 12 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017 | Republic of Ireland U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 2018 | England U16 | 5 | (1) |
| 2019 | Republic of Ireland U19 | 1 | (0) |
| 2023– | Republic of Ireland U21 | 4 | (3) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:21, 31 March 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19:07, 22 March 2024 (UTC) | |||
Oko-Flex was born in Dublin and started out playing with a local academy, Tolka Rovers, then St Kevin's Boys before being spotted by Arsenal scout Liam Brady, who had also come through the St Kevin's, with Oko-Flex then signing for the London club.[2] He joined Celtic on a three-year deal from Arsenal in September 2018.[3] He made his first team debut for the club as a substitute against Hibernian in January 2021.[4]
West Ham United
On 25 June 2021, Oko-Flex joined West Ham United on a two-year contract with an option for a third year.[5]
On 16 August 2021, Oko-Flex scored a hat-trick in his Premier League 2 debut against his boyhood club Arsenal in a 6–1 home win.[6] On 15 December 2021, Oko-Flex was an unused substitute for West Ham's Premier League fixture at the Emirates Stadium, a match won 2–0 by Arsenal.[7] This was the first time he had made a first-team squad for the club. Oko-Flex made his debut for West Ham United on 25 August 2022 coming on as an 82nd minute substitute for Manuel Lanzini in a 3–0 away win against Viborg in the second leg of a play-off round game in the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League.[8][9] He left the club at the end of the 2022-23 season. He made one first team appearance, in the UEFA Europa Conference League Play-Off round and featured on 35 occasions for the U21 side scoring 14 goals.[10]
Swansea City (loan)
On 30 August 2022, Oko-Flex joined Swansea City on loan for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.[11] He was recalled from his loan in January 2023.[12]
FC Zürich
On 14 August 2023, he signed a two-year contract with Swiss Super League club FC Zürich.[13][14] On 17 September 2023, he scored on his debut for the club, in a 3–0 win away to FC Tuggen in the Swiss Cup.[15]
Oko-Flex was called up to the Republic of Ireland U21 squad for the first time in November 2021, for their 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers against Italy & Sweden.[16][17] Oko-Flex made his Republic of Ireland U21 debut on 16 June 2023, in a 2–2 draw with Ukraine U21 in a friendly played in Bad Blumau, Austria.[18] On 13 October 2023, he scored both of his sides goals in a 2–1 win away to Latvia U21.[19]
- As of match played 4 November 2023[20]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Celtic | 2019–20 | Scottish Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2020–21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | ||
| West Ham United U21 | 2021–22 | — | — | — | 2[lower-alpha 2] | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| West Ham United | 2022–23 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Swansea City (loan) | 2022–23 | Championship | 13 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | ||
| FC Zürich | 2023–24 | Swiss Super League | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 8 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 21 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 28 | 4 | ||
- Appearances in Scottish Challenge Cup
- Appearances in EFL Trophy
- Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
Oko-Flex is the son of the Nigerian-Irish community organiser Reginald Oko-Flex Inya.[21]
- "2021/22 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- Appearances in Football League Trophy
- FC, Celtic. "Official Celtic Football Club Website | celticfc.com". Celtic FC.
- "Celtic 1-0 Hibernian - Turnbull crashes in stunning free-kick for late lead". BBC Sport. 11 January 2021.
- Flood, George (16 August 2021). "New signing Oko-Flex nets treble as West Ham U23s thrash Arsenal 6-1". www.standard.co.uk.
- "Arsenal 2-0 West Ham". www.bbc.co.uk. 15 December 2021.
- "Irish underage international makes first-team debut as West Ham cruise past Danish side". The42. Press Association. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
- "West Ham beat Viborg to cruise into group stage". BBC Sport. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
- "West Ham United issue Retain List". West Ham United F.C. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- "Armstrong Okoflex joins Swansea City on loan". West Ham United F.C. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- "Armstong Oko-Flex recalled from Swansea City loan spell". www.swanseacity.com. 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- "Irish striker Armstrong Oko-Flex signs deal with Swiss side FC Zurich". Independent.ie. 14 August 2023.
- Fennessy, Paul (17 September 2023). "Irish duo score amid encouraging starts at new clubs abroad". The 42.
- "U-21 call-up for West Ham's Armstrong Oko-Flex". 3 November 2021 – via www.rte.ie.
- "Republic of Ireland - A. Oko-Flex - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- Ifeanyi, Emmanuel (10 April 2017). "Nigeria and England Battling Republic of Ireland For Arsenal Prodigy Okoflex". All Nigeria Soccer. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- Armstrong Oko-Flex at Soccerway