Born in Owerri, in the southeastern part of Nigeria, Uche was remarkably playing amateur football in his hometown as recently as 2022 – so to become a Premier League footballer is sure to make his family and friends proud.
Uche’s star was always destined to rise, and having represented Nigeria in the African Under-23s Cup by that stage, his potential was identified by Spanish fifth-tier side Moralo CP in 2022, officially being announced by the club in November of that year.
Whilst his senior debut was with Moralo’s B team the following week, starting in a 2-1 away loss to CP Moraleja, it took Uche just a second game to get on the scoresheet for the first time – the attacker was first to a rebound to open the scoring in a 4-0 win over CF Jaraíz.
Pace is a theme of Uche’s game and, after becoming a regular for Moralo in the rest of the season, he was quickly snapped up after just a year by third-tier club AD Ceuta.
Deployed in the midfield pivot, he was quickly identified as a revelation at that level – indeed, such was the speed of the impression he made there, it took just six months before Spanish press began to link him with La Liga outfits such as Real Betis.
By June 2024, just two years after leaving Nigeria, Uche’s transfer to Getafe CF. Moving to Madrid, a dream realised: the then-21-year-old was a top-flight footballer.
Whatever report you read about Uche, common themes emerge: quality, physical strength, pace, energy and – an attribute which Palace fans in particular are sure to love – a hefty work rate. His versatility is oft-cited, too, as during his time in Spain, the young talent was deployed mainly in midfield but also – on occasion – further up the pitch, and even sometimes in defence.
After signing a four-year deal with Getafe, he continued to feature in a variety of positions, including central midfield, as an advanced playmaker, and as an attacker – contributing five goals and eight assists in 41 appearances for the side last season.
Uche’s switch to the Premier League arrives at the culmination of a memorable summer for the 22-year-old, having received his first senior call-up for Nigeria in May of this year for the friendly 2025 Unity Cup tournament in London.
It was at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium he made his senior debut for the Super Eagles on 31st May, coming off the bench with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining in the final. After a 2-2 draw, Nigeria won the tournament 5-4 on penalties – Uche scoring the winning kick.
Having completed his Deadline Day move to Palace, Uche went on to make 26 appearances in the 2025/26 season, scoring three goals and providing two assists across all competitions.
A standout spell in his campaign came during the league phase of the UEFA Conference League, where he scored in consecutive fixtures against Shelbourne and KuPS Kuopio.
His strike against KuPS proved to be a particular highlight – an expertly executed outside-of-the-boot finish after drifting in from the right channel – a goal that was later voted December’s Goal of the Month.
That effort also received wider recognition, with supporters naming it the club’s UEFA Conference League Goal of the Season for 2025/26.
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