Romeo Akachukwu (born 28 May 2006) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Southampton.
Club career Waterford Akachukwu played for Ferrybank prior to joining Waterford. His performances for Waterford included a first senior hat-trick in the 2023 League of Ireland First Division play-off semi-final against Athlone Town.
Southampton He agreed to join Southampton from Waterford in 2024, for a reported initial fee of €375,000, with another €125,000 in potential add-ons. He was included in Southampton's match-day squad for the EFL Cup tie against Cardiff City on 28 August 2024, making his debut as a second-half substitute.
On 2 February 2026, Akachukwu joined Colchester United on loan for the remainder of the 2025–26 season. He made his debut for the club on 7 February in a 2–0 victory against Shrewsbury Town after he replaced Arthur Read in the 74th minute.
On 8 August 2026, Akachukwu scored his first goal for Southampton in a 2–0 away victory against his former loan club Colchester United in the EFL Cup.
International career Born in Ireland, Akachukwu is of Nigerian descent and holds dual citizenship. He played for the Republic of Ireland national under-17 football team at the 2023 European U17 Championships. After making 21 appearances for the Republic of Ireland U19s, on 28 August 2025, he received his first call up to the Republic of Ireland U21 squad.
Career statistics
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupOtherTotal DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsWaterford2022League of Ireland First Division2010—00302023League of Ireland First Division16011—432142024League of Ireland Premier Division7000——70Total25021—43314Southampton2024–25Premier League000010—102025–26Championship000000—002026–27Championship100021—31Total100031—41Colchester United (loan)2025–26League Two150———150Career total410213143505
References