Iffy Onuora - Playing Career

Playing Career

Onuora was a journeyman striker who got his professional break playing for Huddersfield Town, he went on to play just under 200 times for The Terriers, and scored over 30 goals for the club before he was transferred to Mansfield Town in 1994.

Onoura stayed with The Stags until Gillingham paid £25,000 for him in August 1996. It was at Priestfield Stadium where Onuora's goal scoring ability started to show, as he notched himself a tally of just under 30 goals in an 18 month stay with the club, before the Gills cashed in on their big front man by selling him to Swindon Town in March 1998. More goal scoring success was on the cards and he remained at the club until he secured a move back to Gillingham in January 2000, following a short loan spell.

Onuora went on to feature heavily for The Gills for the next two seasons before Neil Warnock tempted the player into moving to Bramall Lane to sign a two-year deal with Sheffield United. However football for Onoura was rare with the club and he only made 8 appearances in both league and cup competitions, scoring one goal against Burnley. In August 2003, it was announced that he would be carrying on with The Blades, but was loan listed where he signed for Wycombe Wanderers at the start of the season on a one month loan deal.

After appearing six times for The Chairboys, Onuora returned to Sheffield, only to be poached by Paul Groves to sign for Grimsby Town also on a one month loan. After a reasonable month with Grimsby, Onuora made his move to Blundell Park a permanent one, with the club pairing him up front with Michael Boulding in the absence of the injured Phil Jevons.

This seemed to work as a jinx for Onuora, as despite earning himself a permanent deal, his performances slipped and he was singled out by the clubs supporters for booing, something which the player later spoke publicly about to the Grimsby Telegraph. Following the club's huge dip in form, Paul Groves was dismissed from his managerial duties and Onuora was to be the first player shown the door, after only signing a permanent deal 4 months previously.

He made his next port of call Tranmere Rovers but after 3 league appearances, the club decided to release him a month later. On the 25 March 2004, Onuora signed professional terms once again for Huddersfield Town, who were his first career club. He played 5 times for The Terriers, scoring an important goal in the play-off semi final against Lincoln City but didn't make an appearance in the final at the Millennium Stadium. In July 2004, Paul Merson hired Onoura as a player/coach for Walsall, but this was short lived, and he was released in October 2004 and subsequently retired from playing. He scored 133 goals in nearly 500 professional matches.