Factfile: Ade Shokunbi
Following Ade Shokunbi’s move to South Shields, we take a closer look at the career of the 24-year-old midfielder.
Ade Shokunbi was born on December 17th, 1998 in Peckham, south east London
He progressed through the Academy at Reading and turned professional with the Berkshire club
Shokunbi’s first taste of senior football was in a loan spell with Nuneaton. He spent a month playing National League North football for the club in early 2018
A further loan stint came at Billericay Town between October 2018 and January 2019, this time in National League South
It was at Billericay where Shokunbi first linked up with Jordy Mongoy, who is now his team-mate at 1st Cloud Arena
His time at Reading came to an end in the summer of 2019, and Shokunbi subsequently joined Beaconsfield
He was with the Southern Football League Premier Division South club for over a year before he signed for Welling United in October 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic restricted his opportunities initially at Welling, with the 2020-21 season brought to a premature end
He was back in National League South with Welling and helped the club avoid relegation in the 2021-22 campaign, scoring six times in 36 appearances
Shokunbi moved to Hampton & Richmond Borough, who finished 11th in National League South last season, in the summer of 2022
Known as a box-to-box midfielder and a real physical presence in the centre of the park, Shokunbi scored two goals in 16 National League South appearances this season
He now has the opportunity to make his mark at South Shields, and could make his debut in Saturday’s Pitching In Northern Premier League match at Atherton Collieries