An in-depth look into our latest recruit: Dubem Eze.
Hailing from Morden, South London, Dubem Eze’s decision to swap League One side Bolton Wanderers for Sutton is evidently one that was motivated by the chance to move back home, having spent the last few years towards the North of England as he began his career.
His footballing journey began closer to where he grew up though, having joined Chelsea at the age of nine, and he subsequently spent his entire childhood in the youth setup at Stamford Bridge. His time with the Blues saw him start out his development, before moving on to Derby County, opting for pastures new after Chelsea chose against offering him a scholarship.
Indeed, the next stage of his career saw him look to try and break through into the first team, becoming part of an intake of academy scholars at Pride Park – one of 11 first year scholars – 2021, with the Rams bolstering their youth ranks with the capture of the talented teenager when he was just 16, though he joined the club at Under-18 level, before moving on to Norwich City midway through the 2021/22 campaign on another scholarship agreement.
He featured for the Under-18s twice in their FA Youth Cup defeat to Stoke City, and their Under-18 Premier League match against West Bromwich Albion, going on to enjoy a successful few years in East Anglia, and despite not making a senior appearance for the Canaries, he has actively participated in a host of youth competitions, including the Premier League 2, U18 and U21 Premier League Cup, U18 Premier League, and FA Youth Cup.
In all, the midfielder rose as high as Under-21 level before signing his first professional contract in July 2023, and was followed by him gaining his first taste of men’s football when he joined Warrington Town on loan, making the switch to Cheshire for the final two months of the 2023/24 season.
After making his debut against future club Scunthorpe United, Dubem made six appearances and scored twice as Warrington finished 12th in the National League North, an impressive feat given it was his first professional loan, and gave him the platform to show glimpses of the sort of quality that convinced Bolton Wanderers to add him to their ranks just two months later.
Indeed, his time with the Yellows proved to be a strategic step towards gaining first team football experience, and after a successful trial, his permanent switch to Bolton saw him become the Trotters’ first summer recruit for the B Team ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, putting pen to paper on a two-year contract with an option for an additional season.
And it wasn’t long before he was displaying his ability as a strong runner with the ball who can operate in a number of advanced positions, featuring a handful of times for the side along with impressing in training throughout, while he was also taken under the wing of fellow former Norwich player Nelson Khumbeni, with Eze citing the development and progress he showed as another reason why he decided to take the step to move to the Macron Stadium. Furthermore, his determination and attitude was evident upon his arrival at the club, having worked during the off-season to come in the best shape he could be in in order to make his mark.
The 20-year-old went on to make a number of appearances for Wanderers’ B Team and made it as far as the bench at first-team level in his first season at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, appearing as an unused substitute in a 3-2 win over Barrow in the EFL Trophy.
He subsequently ventured out on loan once more with an initial one-month deal with Chorley in October 2024, with manager Andy Preece labelling him as someone who can excite as well as scoring and creating. As such, he went on to remain at Victory Park until March 2025 following seven starts and one goal for the Magpies, with his displays convincing the Magpies to extend it through to the end of January, and then again until the end of the season, with Eze going on to net three in 24 appearances for Chorley in total.
His form even earned him a call-up to Nigeria’s Under-20’s ahead of the Flying Eagles’ two international friendlies against Egypt in February 2025, and his loan spell was later cut short towards the end of the campaign in order for him to step up to the National League and feature for FC Halifax Town, where he made six appearances.
Making a minor contribution to the Shaymen securing top seven status in the fifth tier, a marked jump for the young midfielder, Chris Millington’s side went on to achieve a shot at promotion via the play-offs, and while it wasn’t to be for the West Yorkshire-based side, Eze gained some invaluable experience as an unused substitute in the eliminator round against eventual victors Oldham Athletic.
He soon found himself back in the National League the following season with a move to Scunthorpe United, making the switch to a side fresh off a promotion of their own; the Iron defying all the odds in their first season back in the National League, and Eze commented on the size of the club as a major drawing point for him, choosing Scunthorpe ahead of a handful of other loan opportunities.
The midfielder made his aims clear, with the chance to prove himself after a productive stint in the tier below, and has since appeared three times for the club.
