Chituru Odunze

Chituru Ethan Odunze (born October 14, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Charlotte FC.

Chituru Odunze

Personal information
Full name	Chituru Ethan Odunze[1]
Date of birth	(2002-10-14) October 14, 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth	Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Height	2.00 m (6 ft 6+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Charlotte FC
Number	26
Youth career
2007	Kingfishers
2008	Thames Moorings
2009–2010	Royal Greenwich
2010–2013	Chelsea
2014	Calgary Villains FC
2015	Calgary Blizzard SC
2015–2016	Calgary Foothills FC
2017–2019	Vancouver Whitecaps
2019–2023	Leicester City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2023–	Crown Legacy	23	(0)
2024–	Charlotte FC	0	(0)
International career‡
2018–2019	United States U17	5	(0)
2020	United States U20	1	(0)
2023–	United States U23	2	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of October 26, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals as of November 11, 2020

Early life

Born in Raleigh, North Carolina,^[2] Odunze moved to England as a child and played for local youth teams before spending time in the Chelsea academy.^[3][4] He moved to Canada when he was eleven and played for local sides Calgary Villains FC and Calgary Blizzard SC.^[2] During this time, he went on trial with Welsh side Cardiff City, training with the first team despite only being fourteen.^[2][5] In January 2019, he joined the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy from Calgary Foothills.^[4] Later in the same year, Odunze signed with English side Leicester City.^[6] He went on to train with the senior squad.^[7]

Club career

On August 2, 2023, Odunze signed a professional contract with Crown Legacy FC in MLS Next Pro.^[8]

Odunze signed with the Charlotte FC first team on January 18, 2024. His Major League Soccer contract is guaranteed through 2027 with a club option for 2028.^[9]

Personal life

Chituru is of Igbo Nigerian descent.^{[citation needed]}

International

Odunze is eligible for the United States, England, Canada, and Nigeria. He was called up to the Canada under-15 side in 2017 but has represented the United States at under-17 and under-20 levels.^[10] He represented the United States at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup, playing in two group-stage games.^[2]

In November 2020, Odunze was called up to the senior United States national team for the first time.^[11][12]