FREDDIE LADAPO

Full Name: Olayinka Fredrick Oladotun Ladapo

Born: 01 February 1993

Came from: Southend United   Went to: Rotherham United

First game: 04 August 2018   Last game: 04 May 2019

Appearances: 49 (46/3)   Goals: 19

Born in Romford, Ladapo began his career with Colchester United's Academy, where he also had work experience spells with Thurrock, Chelmsford City and Bishop's Stortford. He signed professional terms with Colchester in March 2012 and made his League debut nine months later.

After loans in 2013 at Woking (4 games and no goals) and Nuneaton Town (6 & 2), he left Colchester in January 2014 after a total of six games for his first club to sign for Kidderminster Harriers (3 & 0). Two more loan spells followed, at Hayes & Yeading (16 & 3) and Grays Athletic (35 & 17), before moving to Margate permanently when his contract was cancelled by Kidderminster in January 2015.

It was in Kent that he really impressed, scoring 23 goals in 49 appearances as Margate won promotion from the Isthmian Premier League, which was enough to earn him a dream move to Crystal Palace and the Premier League in March 2016. He made only two appearances for Palace; his debut was at Old Trafford where he came on as a substitute as the Eagles lost 4-0. Whilst at Palace he was loaned to Oldham Athletic (22 & 3) and Shrewsbury Town (15 & 4).

Ladapo moved from Palace to Southend United in January 2018, but struggled to make an impact (10 games but no goals). The tall striker became Argyle's third summer signing of 2018 when he was snapped up after his release by Southend. Although only 25, he had already played for 14 clubs before his arrival at Home Park.

In his single season at Home Park, Ladapo was both popular and prolific, scoring an impressive 19 goals in his 49 appearances. With the Green Army hoping for more to come, the Argyle accepted a £500,000 bid from Rotherham United in June 2019, a record transfer fee for the South Yorkshire club at that time.

In three seasons at the New York Stadium, when the Millers bounced from League One to the Championship and back again, Ladapo played 123 times, scoring 41 times. He left the club following their promotion back to the Championship (again) at the end of the 2021-22 season, upon the expiration of his contract.

In May 2022, Ladapo signed a three-year deal with Ipswich Town. Over the following two seasons, Town and Argyle went toe-to-toe as both clubs moved through League One into the Championship, which included an obligatory goal for him at Home Park in September 2022, although thankfully it was a victory for Argyle. His spell at Portman Road included a loan spell with Charlton Athletic in League One from January 2023 for the rest of the season (14 appearances, one goal). In total he scored 25 goals in 75 appearances for the Tractor Boys, helping them from League One to the Premier League.

Whilst Ladapo started the 2024-25 campaign on Ipswich's Premier League books, he made no further appearances, and was released in September 2024 to allow him to sign a two-year deal with League One Huddersfield Town, who also numbered Nigel Lonwijk and Mikel Miller as fellow former Pilgrims in their ranks.