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Former Nigeria and Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Carl Ikeme has returned to familiar territory as he embarks on the next chapter of his football journey — coaching, Footynaija.com reports.
The 38-year-old has rejoined Wolves at their Compton Park training base as part of his preparations to begin coaching badge courses this summer.
The Premier League club confirmed Ikeme is undertaking a short-term internship that includes observing first-team training and working closely with the Under-21 squad later this week.
Wolves invited Carl Ikeme to first-team training after beating cancer.
— POOJA!!! (@PoojaMedia) April 15, 2022
Good to see him back in Training.
Nigeria missed him ❤️ pic.twitter.com/e3DirZyv6X
Ikeme, who made 207 appearances for Wolves across all competitions, was welcomed back by head coach Vitor Pereira and his staff. The former shot-stopper expressed his delight at returning to the club where he spent his entire playing career.
“Every time I come back here, it feels like home,” Ikeme said. “It just feels like the right time to explore what’s next for me in football, and coaching is something I’m genuinely excited about.”
The Wolverhampton-born goalkeeper was a key figure during the club’s rise through the divisions, helping Wolves clinch the Championship title in 2009 and League One in 2014. He made a single Premier League appearance in 2012 before his playing career was tragically cut short by a cancer diagnosis in 2017.
It is with great sadness that Wolves are today announcing that Carl Ikeme has been diagnosed with acute leukaemia.https://t.co/yGsoT4rjiE pic.twitter.com/3WQCraBl1v
— Wolves (@Wolves) July 6, 2017
Though born in England, Ikeme chose to represent Nigeria internationally and earned 10 caps between 2015 and 2016. He made his debut in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania and played a crucial role in Nigeria’s early qualification matches for the 2018 World Cup before illness ruled him out of the tournament.
Now in remission and ready for a new challenge, Ikeme is taking his first steps toward building a career on the sidelines.
