Élie Junior Akobeto (born 18 May 1995) is a footballer who plays as a forward for East Stirlingshire FC in the Lowland League. He has previously played for Grimsby Town, Mansfield Town and Bolton Wanderers. Born in France, he represented Benin internationally. Club career Bolton Wanderers After coming through training camps at Paris Saint-Germain, Akobeto joined Bolton Wanderers in 2011 and was part of their youth academy. With multiple injuries, he only managed to spend a season at the Reebok Stadium before moving on to Hyde FC where he played in the Conference Youth Alliance. Loughborough University In August 2014, Akobeto joined the Football Performance Programme at Loughborough University. During his time as a scholar, he made a transition to Futsal with the Loughborough team being in the FA National Futsal Super League. Mansfield Town For the 2016-2017 season, Akobeto signed for Mansfield Town. He was described as a "naturally left-footed forward" with speed and tenacity, standing out when playing "as a lone target man up front". Grimsby Town For the 2017-2018 season, Akobeto appeared in a fixture with Grimsby Town. Atlanta SC For the , Akobeto joined the famous Atlanta SC team, previously known as "Atlanta Silverbacks", competing in the National Premier Soccer League. San Diego 1904 FC On trial for few weeks, Akobeto managed to earn a contract for the 2019 season with the newly formed San Diego soccer team, 1904 FC, founded by Eden Hazard and Demba Ba. East Stirlingshire FC After impressing the club following two league matches against Civil Service Strollers F.C. and Spartans F.C. as a Trialist, Akobeto signed a One-Year deal to join East Stirlingshire FC. International career Akobeto is eligible to play for Benin, with his mother being born there. In 2013, he was called for the first time into the U20 squad. He made his debut in 2014 against a local team when called for the "Senegal CAN U20".
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