Chris Iwelumo

Christopher Robert "Chris" Iwelumo (born 1 August 1978) is a Scotland association football, who plays as a a striker for Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C..

Club career

Iwelumo was born to a Nigerian father and a Scotland mother. He started his association football career at St Mirren F.C., who he joined in August 1996 as a trainee. He had only made nineteen appearances for the club before his performances were being noticed and in early 1998, Aarhus Fremad of Denmark signed him up. Aarhus released him two years later in February 2000 and he had a trial at Preston North End F.C. before signing a four year deal with Stoke City F.C..

Later that year he was sent out on loan to York City F.C. where he made eleven appearances before returning to Stoke. He remained there for some time before being loaned out again, this time to Cheltenham Town F.C. in February 2001. He played four times for Cheltenham Town, scoring once before being recalled back from his loan by Stoke City where he managed to build on his appearances without actually gaining a regular place in the first team. He signed a two-year contract extension with Stoke in March 2002.

Barnsley F.C. revealed an interest in signing Iwelumo in January 2004. He was subject of a loan move once more when he moved to Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. in March 2004. and when he returned to the club two months later, he was released, after four years at the club.

Fußball-Bundesliga side Alemannia Aachen signed Iwelumo on a free transfer (soccer) in July 2004, after rejecting a two-year deal from Brighton. However his stay at Aachen was short-lived, and he was released after just six months and nine substitute appearances. Iwelumo signed for Colchester United F.C. in July 2005. On 28 November 2006, he scored 4 goals as Colchester demolished Hull City A.F.C. 5–1 in a Championship league match. Whilst at Colchester, he helped them achieve promotion to the Football League Championship in 2006 and finish in a club record 10th position the following season.

Iwelumo rejected a new contract offer from Colchester on 21 May 2007, and on the same day signed for Charlton Athletic F.C. on a free transfer. In the 2007-08 in English football season he featured in every league game and was the Addicks' top goalscorer; he was also named the Championship's player of the month for November 2007 after scoring last minute winning goals in two consecutive games.

It was confirmed that he could leave Charlton as part of cost-cutting measures and he eventually signed for fellow Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. in July 2008. Iwelumo scored a hat-trick for Wolves against Preston North End F.C. in a 3–1 win, taking his goal tally to eight for the season, where he was also sent off for an apparent head-butt on Preston's defender Sean St Ledger, which Wolves appealed against. However, the appeal was turned down, despite St Ledger stating that the clash of heads was accidental and is served a three-match ban.

International career

Iwelumo was called up for the Scotland squad tour to South Korea in 2002 but had to withdraw as his club Stoke City were involved in the play-offs. In November 2007, he was named in the Scotland B national football team team for a friendly against Republic of Ireland B national football team, which he featured in as Scotland drew 1–1. He was once again called up to the full Scotland squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 9 match against Norway national football team at Hampden Park on 11 October. He came on as a 57th minute substitute in that game to make his debut, his performance was overshadowed by his open goal miss from three yards, in a match that finished 0–0.