Callum Hudson-Odoi grew up in a football family. His father played for Ghana, his older brother was a Ghana youth international, and Callum became one of the brightest talents in English football while still a teenager.
Wandsworth
Hudson-Odoi was born on 7 November 2000 in Wandsworth, London, where he was raised. He is the second son of Bismark Odoi, a former Ghana international midfielder. His older brother, Bradley Hudson-Odoi, was a Ghana youth international striker.
Chelsea’s academy
He joined Chelsea’s academy in 2007 from Charlton Athletic. At youth level, he won the Under-18 Premier League in 2017 and back-to-back FA Youth Cups.
World champion
In 2017, he was part of the England team that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup and finished runners-up at the European Under-17 Championship the same year.
Breakthrough
In January 2019, he assisted both of Álvaro Morata’s goals in an FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest. His performances attracted transfer bids from Bayern Munich, but he stayed at Chelsea.
England’s youngest
In March 2019, he became the youngest player to make a competitive debut for England, in a Euro 2020 qualifier against the Czech Republic.
Setbacks
Shortly afterwards, he suffered a serious Achilles injury, which slowed his progress. In March 2020, he was among the first Premier League players to test positive for COVID-19, and he recovered.
Chelsea trophies
He was part of the Chelsea squad that won the Champions League in 2021, though he struggled to become a permanent starter.
Leverkusen and Forest
After a loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, he joined Nottingham Forest in 2023, where he found regular playing time and form.
Ghana’s interest
Because of his father, Hudson-Odoi has long been eligible for Ghana, and Ghanaian fans and officials have followed his career closely, wondering whether he might one day wear the Black Stars shirt.
Style of play
Hudson-Odoi is a winger who likes to take on defenders, using quick feet and changes of pace. He can play on either flank and has increasingly contributed goals and assists as his decision-making has matured.
Starting again
Hudson-Odoi’s career did not follow the straight line many predicted in 2019. At Forest, he started again, and showed that a player who was a prodigy at 18 can still find his best form years later.
