1. Early life and nationality
Eric Obinna Chukwunyelu was born in Owerri, Nigeria, on 10 June 1981. He holds dual Nigerian and French citizenship. When he joined the K League in South Korea, he was registered as a French national player, becoming the first French foreign player to be registered in the league. His registered name in the K League was 에릭EricKorean.
2. Club career
Eric Obinna played for several clubs across different leagues, including England's Championship, South Korea's K League, and Singapore's S.League.
2.1. Youth career
Obinna began his football development in England, where he was part of the youth academy of Premier League club Arsenal F.C..
2.2. Career in England
He later joined Reading F.C., contributing to their record-breaking promotion season. During his time with Reading, he made six substitute appearances. Although he did not score any goals in these matches, he was noted for setting up several goals for his teammates.
2.3. Career in South Korea
In 2008, Obinna moved to South Korea to play in the K League. He was registered as a French national and played under the name 에릭EricKorean. During the 2008 K League regular season, he appeared in 14 matches, scoring 2 goals and providing 0 assists. In the Korean League Cup, he played 4 matches with no goals or assists, and overall did not show significant activity.
2.4. Career in Singapore
Obinna later played for Étoile FC, a French club based in Singapore that competed in the S.League. With Étoile FC, he achieved a notable success by winning the 2010 Singapore League Cup.
3. Honours
Étoile
- Singapore League Cup: 2010