# Benjamin Odeje > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Benjamin_Odeje > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Benjamin_Odeje.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Odeje > Source revision: 1326802343 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Benjamin Odeje** (born c. 1955) is an English former footballer. He was the first [black](/source/Black_people) [footballer](/source/Association_football) to represent England at any level.[3] Signed to Charlton Athletic, he played in five [schoolboy internationals](/source/English_Schools'_Football_Association), making his debut against [Northern Ireland](/source/Northern_Ireland_national_under-16_football_team) at [Wembley](/source/Wembley_Stadium_(1923)) in 1971. Odeje gave a rare interview to *[Tell A Friend](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GuDiTcbI08&t=675s)* podcast, in July 2020, where he spoke about the [racism he endured during his football career](/source/Racism_in_association_football).[4] ## Life and career Odeje was born in Nigeria and as a child moved to England with his parents. The family lived in south-east London, where Odeje attended South East London Secondary School in [Deptford](/source/Deptford), and his mother worked as a nurse. In March 1971, as a 15-year-old, he was selected for the [England schoolboys](/source/English_Schools'_Football_Association) team to play [Northern Ireland schoolboys](/source/Northern_Ireland_national_under-16_football_team) at [Wembley](/source/Wembley_Stadium_(1923)).[5] His father was concerned that the considerable publicity surrounding Odeje's selection, as "the first African to play Soccer for England", might make him "a marked man" in the match.[5] Playing out of position on the right wing,[6] Odeje helped his team to a 1–0 win.[3] He had acquired the nickname "[Pelé](/source/Pel%C3%A9)" by scoring nearly 400 goals in three seasons in schools football,[5] and for the match against the Netherlands schoolboys team in April, he played in his natural position at [centre forward](/source/Centre_forward). Leslie Nichol in the *[Daily Express](/source/Daily_Express)* expected him to use his "amazing speed" to combine with [Chelsea](/source/Chelsea_F.C.)'s [Brian Bason](/source/Brian_Bason) to "destroy the Dutch defence".[6] England won 5–1; Odeje scored once and Bason twice.[7] In total, Odeje played five times for England schoolboys.[8] In November 1971, an article in the *[Daily Mirror](/source/Daily_Mirror)* discussing the increasingly multiracial makeup of football in England mentioned that "more than twenty League clubs [had] at least one coloured player on their books".[9] Odeje played for his local professional club, [Charlton Athletic](/source/Charlton_Athletic). He played in France with Charlton's youth team in the summer of 1971,[10] and set up the goal that earned them a place in the quarter-finals of the 1972–73 [FA Youth Cup](/source/FA_Youth_Cup).[11] He never played for Charlton's first team, but went on to appear in [non-League football](/source/Non-League_football) in the London area for clubs including [Hendon](/source/Hendon_F.C.),[1] [Clapton](/source/Clapton_F.C.) and [Dulwich Hamlet](/source/Dulwich_Hamlet_F.C.).[2] He was still playing for [Trowbridge Town](/source/Trowbridge_Town_F.C.) in 1989. Odeje later coached at [Queens Park Rangers](/source/Queens_Park_Rangers_F.C.), worked as a teacher of physical education, and ran children's soccer schools in north London.[3][12] ## References 1. ["Former staff – Ben Odeje"](http://www.hendonfc.net/Squad?method=view&id=659). Greensnet and Hendon Football Club. Retrieved 25 May 2013. 1. ["Relegation 1977"](http://hamlethotchpotch.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/relegation-1977.html). *Hamlet Historian*. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2013. 1. Ashdown, Marc (24 May 2013). ["First black England player revealed to be Benjamin Odeje"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22648085). BBC London News. Retrieved 25 May 2013. 1. Knight, Bryan. ["League of His Own (ft. Ben Odeje)"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GuDiTcbI08&t=675s). – via YouTube. 1. Beagley, Ron (5 November 1971). "Boy 'Pele' plays for England". *Daily Mirror*. p. 27. 1. Nichol, Leslie (3 April 1971). "England's spearhead". *Daily Express*. p. 19. 1. Nichol, Leslie (5 April 1971). "Roy – star of future". *Daily Express*. p. 16. 1. ["Schoolboy internationals from Kent: Under 15"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304221058/http://www.kentschoolsfa.org.uk/12-13%20Pages/General/InternationalsfromKent.htm). Kent Schools' Football Association. Archived from [the original](http://www.kentschoolsfa.org.uk/12-13%20Pages/General/InternationalsfromKent.htm) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2013. 1. Wills, Ron (5 November 1971). "England '79... in black and white". *Daily Mirror*. pp. 26–27. 1. Glanville, Brian (2 January 1972). "Black Future?". *The Sunday Times*. p. 30. 1. "Charlton into last eight". *Daily Mirror*. 30 January 1973. p. 27. 1. ["Home"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130611052326/http://atlanticsportsdevelopment.com/). Atlantic Sports Development. Archived from [the original](http://www.atlanticsportsdevelopment.com/) on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013. ## External links - ["England's first black international and his 42-year wait for recognition"](https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/ben-odeje-england-first-black-footballer-charlton-athletic-2852221), *i* newspaper, 14 May 2020 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Benjamin Odeje](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Odeje) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Odeje?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.