A former Teesside University student has made his debut playing football in the Europa League.
Philip Otele studied BA (Hons) Sports Management and Marketing and graduated from Teesside in 2019.
While studying in Middlesbrough Philip, who is originally from Nigeria, played for the University’s football team.
After leaving university the 20-year-old striker joined FK Kauno Zalgiris from Wolvinston FC .
It was while playing for FK Kauno Zalgiris that Phillip came on as a substitue in their first ever European qualifier against Cyprian side Apollon Limassol.
After impressing in the B team Philip was brought into the first team set up and shared history with the club by being involved in their first ever Europa League Qualifier.
Philip’s former university teammates had nothing but praise for him.
Jordan Holroyd, a former teammate of the striker, said: “He once scored a back heel from the edge of the box in a cup quarter-final.”
“He’s the best player I’ve seen in six years at the University.”
FK Kauno Zalgiris are a Lithuanian football team who play in the LYGA which is the top tier of Lithuanian Football,.
It was a historic moment for the club this season when they played their first ever European Qualifiers.
As well as playing for the University team, Philip also played in the Wearside league for Wolvinston where he scored an impressive 21 goals in 20 appearances for the Stockton -based club.
Following this prolific season he joined the Lithuanian giants and continues to impress as his career begins to take shape.
Philip has also shared clips on his YouTube channel, which feature moments from his time in the Teesside University Men’s Football First Team.
