Caleb Yirenkyi
Ghanaian footballer (born 2006)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Caleb Marfo Yirenkyi (born 15 January 2006) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Coventry City and the Ghana national team.
|
Yirenkyi with Ghana in 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Caleb Marfo Yirenkyi | ||
| Date of birth | 15 January 2006 | ||
| Place of birth | Bechem, Ghana | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Central midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Coventry City | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2017–2024 | Right to Dream | ||
| 2024 | Nordsjælland | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024–2026 | Nordsjælland | 49 | (4) |
| 2026– | Coventry City | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2025– | Ghana | 15 | (2) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:33, 2 August 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 11:20, 4 July 2026 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Nordsjælland
Born in Bechem, Ghana, Yirenkyi was a product of the Right to Dream Academy, which he joined in 2017 at the age of 11.[2] He turned 18 in January 2024 and in March 2024 FC Nordsjælland confirmed that Yirenkyi became part of the club's academy and had just made his debut for the club's U-19 team.[3][4][5]
In the summer of 2024, Yirenkyi attended a training camp with the Nordsjælland first team squad.[6][7][8] From here Yirenkyi started training more with the first team.
Yirenkyi sat on the bench in Nordsjælland's first two matches in the 2024–25 Danish Superliga.[9][10] His debut, however, came on 20 September 2024, when he replaced Peter Ankersen in the 85th minute in a match against Viborg FF.[11][12]
On 2 February 2025, Nordsjælland confirmed that Yirenkyi had been permanently promoted to the first team squad and had signed a new contract until the end of 2029.[13] Yirenkyi quickly established himself in the team right after his contract extension, starting in the first three matches of the year. His performances led to the media beginning to draw comparisons between him and Michael Essien.[14][15] In October that year, he extended his contract with Nordsjælland again, until summer 2030.[16]
Coventry City
On 7 August 2026, Yirenkyi joined Premier League club Coventry City for an undisclosed club record fee on a long-term contract.[17] The transfer was reportedly completed for a club-record and Danish league-record fee of €25 million.[18][19][20]
International career
In May 2025, Yirenkyi received his first call-up to the Ghana senior national team for the 2025 Unity Cup.[21]
He made his debut on 28 May 2025 against Nigeria, coming on at the start of the second half in a 1–2 defeat.[22]
On 2 June, he was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[23] He scored his first international goal on the same day in a 1–1 draw against Wales.[24]
On 17 June, he scored a stoppage-time goal on his World Cup debut, securing a 1–0 win over Panama and becoming the second-youngest player to score for Ghana at a World Cup behind Haminu Draman.[25][26] The 95th minute strike was also Ghana's latest ever goal scored in regulation time at a World Cup.[26]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 2 August 2026
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Nordsjælland | 2024–25 | Danish Superliga | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 2 | ||
| 2025–26 | Danish Superliga | 30 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 2 | |||
| 2026–27 | Danish Superliga | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2[b] | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 49 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 56 | 4 | |||
| Coventry City | 2026–27 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 49 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 56 | 4 | ||
- Includes Danish Cup
- Appearances in UEFA Conference League
International
- As of match played 3 July 2026[27]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 2025 | 8 | 0 |
| 2026 | 7 | 2 | |
| Total | 15 | 2 | |
Scores and results list Ghana's goal tally first.[27]
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 June 2026 | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | 11 |  Wales | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 17 June 2026 | BMO Field, Toronto, Canada | 12 |  Panama | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup |
Honours
Individual
- Danish Superliga Young Player of the Year 2025–26[28]
- Danish Superliga Young Player of the Month: August 2025,[29] February 2026[30]
- Danish Superliga Team of the Year: 2025–26[31]