Who is Festy Ebosele? The ex-Derby County star wanted by Leeds and Spurs | OneFootball

Leeds United and Tottenham are interested in signing former Derby County defender Festy Ebosele this summer, according to HITC.

Ebosele is currently plying his trade with Serie A side Udinese, and has cemented his place as a key part of the team this year, after a difficult start to life in Italy. He can operate as a full-back or wing-back on the right flank, and is a willing runner who will get forward to get involved with the attack.

Daniel Farke's side are set to need options in both full-back positions, irrespective of which league they find themselves in next season. Most of their options are currently in on loan or out of contract within the next two summers.

Connor Roberts was signed in the January window on loan from Burnley, with Archie Gray also filling in at right-back, moving across from midfield in the absence of others through injury. The Whites are set to lose all of Sam Byram, Jamie Shackleton, Luke Ayling, Stuart Dallas, and Cody Drameh in the summer, with each of their contracts up.

Junior Firpo's contract will have just one year remaining on it, and the future of Rasmus Kristensen also remains unclear, highlighting the need for multiple players in the full-back area, and Ebosele could be one they explore.

Festy Ebosele profile

The 21-year-old was born in the town of Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland. He began playing football for nearby Moyne Rangers in 2010 before joining the academy of League of Ireland side Bray Wanderers when he turned 14. However, just two years later, in 2018, he signed for then English Championship side Derby County.

He spent three years in Derby's academy before he made his debut as a substitute in a 2-0 FA Cup loss to Chorley in January 2021. It was somewhat lucky, albeit unfortunate, as he was one of fourteen players from Derby County's academy to make their debut in the game, after almost the entirety of Derby's first-team squad and coaching team were forced to isolate due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

It would be another three months before he made his league debut, again as a substitute, during a 1-0 loss to Norwich City in April. The following season, he would become much more of a regular for Derby, appearing in 37 of their games in all competitions, including 20 starts.

The Rams were relegated from the Championship at the end of the 2021/22 season after they entered administration and suffered a points deduction, leading many players to depart the club that summer.

And, in March 2022, with Derby unable to offer Ebosele new contract terms due to the restrictions put on the club by the EFL whilst in administration, it was confirmed that he would join Udinese at the end of his contract that summer, signing a five-year deal with the Serie A club.

Ebosele agreed a pre-contract deal with the Italian side, despite receiving advice from then-manager Wayne Rooney to stay in English football.

Festy Ebosele's career in Italy so far

The former Rams star struggled to make the same impact in his first season in Italy, making the vast majority of his appearances from the bench. This season, he has featured 24 times in the Italian top-flight so far this season, including 19 starts, with the team sitting 14th in the table.

His performances for Udinese have also earned him international recognition. Ebosele is of Nigerian descent, so he could choose to represent either of Ireland or the Nigerian national team. However, he chose his birthplace, receiving two caps in his career so far thanks to his good form in the Italian top-flight.

He had represented the Republic of Ireland at U-16, U-17, U-19 and U-21 levels ever since but received his first call-up to the Irish senior national team on May 25th 2022, ahead of their UEFA Nations League games against Armenia, Ukraine, and Scotland.

It wasn't until September 7th 2023 that he made his senior debut for Republic of Ireland, replacing Chiedozie Ogbene from the bench in the 84th minute of a 2–0 loss to France at Parc des Princes, and swiftly followed that up with another substitute appearance against Netherlands just days later.

It remains to be seen what kind of fee could convince Udinese to sell Ebosele in the summer, and his contract situation means that they have no immediate need to cash in, but the Irishman's stock is definitely on the rise, as Leeds' interest highlights.