Emmanuel Dennis is a Nigerian professional footballer who currently plies his trade in the EFL Championship with Blackburn Rovers, on loan from Premier League side Nottingham Forest as well as Nigeria’s senior national team.
Blessed with an incredible amount of pace and trickery, combined with a decent finishing ability, Dennis played his way through grassroot football in Nigeria and has now made a name for himself in Europe as a reliable presence in attack.
In this piece, Footynaija.com brings you everything you need to know about the former Watford hitman.
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Emmanuel Dennis Biography
Born Emmanuel Bonaventure Dennis on November 15, 1997 in Yola, the capital city of Adamawa state, Nigeria, he began his career at Kwara Football Academy in Ilorin. In 2016, he moved to Europe, joining Zorya Luhansk in Ukraine, where he made an immediate impact with goals in domestic and European competitions. His standout performances attracted interest from major clubs.
In 2017, he signed with Club Brugge in Belgium and quickly gained attention after scoring five goals in his first six games, including a memorable brace against Real Madrid in the Champions League. After a brief loan at 1. FC Köln in Germany, Dennis joined Watford in 2021, scoring on his Premier League debut and earning a Player of the Month nomination that November.
In 2022, he transferred to Nottingham Forest for a reported £10 million, followed by loan spells at Istanbul Basaksehir, a return to Watford, and a 2025 move to Blackburn Rovers.
On the international stage, Dennis played for Nigeria’s under-23 team before making his senior debut on 10 September 2019, coming on as a substitute in a 2–2 friendly against Ukraine. He was also part of the Nigerian squad that was narrowly eliminated by Ghana on away goals during the third round of 2022 World Cup qualifying.
Emmanuel Dennis Stats
Dennis has amassed a total of 70 goal contributions (52G, 18A) in 267 club appearances across Europe. His most productive spell came at Club Brugge, where he recorded 37 contributions (29G, 8A) in 116 matches.
At Watford, he added 20 more in 75 games, including a standout Premier League season in 2021/2022. He also made notable impacts at Zorya Luhansk (6 goals), Nottingham Forest (2G, 3A), 1. FC Koln, and Blackburn Rovers, while enduring a goalless stint at Istanbul Basaksehir.
Internationally, he has managed only seven appearances for the Super Eagles with just the odd goal to his name.
Emmanuel Dennis Salary and Net Worth
Dennis earns an estimated gross weekly wage of £28,000 at Blackburn. The 27-year-old centre-forward’s loan deal runs until May 31, 2025.
His net worth is estimated at about £10,296,000 with the bulk of his earnings coming from his contracts with different European clubs over the years.
Emmanuel Dennis Parents
At the time of writing, there isn’t any publicly available information on Dennis’ parents. However, in April 2024, the striker opened up in an interview with Sky Sports about his parents wanting him to become a priest when he was younger which led to reservations about his becoming a professional footballer.
Emmanuel Dennis Wife
There also isn’t any publicly available information about the 27-year-old striker being in a relationship at the time of writing. However, the former Watford star has occasionally staired the internet with intimate photos of himself and popular Nigerian disk jockey DJ Cuppy.
Emmanuel Dennis Transfer News
Dennis is widely expected to return to Nottingham Forest upon the expiration of his loan deal at Blackburn at the end of May. However, with his contract at The City Ground set to expire this summer after spending the last three seasons on loan, the former Club Brugge hitman will certainly be in search of a new club when the transfer window opens.
Emmanuel Dennis FC 25 Ratings
Dennis has an overall rating of 72 according to EA SPORTS FC 25. His pace, dribbling and shot power are some of the standout attributes that make him a reliable center-forward. Below are some of his best attributes.
Pace
Acceleration – 84
Sprint Speed – 85
Dribbling
Agility – 87
Balance- 78
Ball control – 76
Reactions – 72
Dribbling – 74
Shooting
Finishing – 71
Shot Power – 80
