Carlton Ubaezuonu becomes Iron's first summer signing

Scunthorpe United is delighted to announce the acquisition of relentless forward Carlton Ubaezuonu on a free transfer following his departure from promotion challengers Chorley.

The 26-year-old forward from South Africa has been on Andy Butler’s radar throughout the off season and the gaffer has got his man in the form of the proven goal scorer. Ubaezuonu was a shining light for the Magpies last year after arriving from fellow National League North outfit Farsley Celtic in August 2023.

The Johannesburg-born forward scored 15 league goals in 44 appearances last campaign, and caught the eye of the Iron during his then side's 3-0 defeat at the hands of Scunthorpe in mid-December. Ubaezuonu is a pressing beast and tormented the Iron’s backline on that day with his robust nature which we hope he will carry on throughout his time in claret and blue.

Starting his career as a highly-rated talent in the Republic of Ireland for Dundalk, he proved himself in the Irish first division with a notable spell at Galway United where he notched up 11 goal contributions in his 51 appearances for the club. 

After a short stint with first division side Athlone Town, Ubaezuonu swapped Ireland for Yorkshire as he joined Farsley Celtic ahead of the 2022-23 season. The switch was no problem for Carlton, however, as he became an instant fan favourite with the Celts faithful by scoring a number of crucial goals to secure safety in the National League North for another season before being snapped up by Chorley the following summer.

Ubaezuonu becomes Andy Butler's first managerial acquisition, and one he played with during his time with Farsley. Reacting to the addition, he said: "Carlton has a great season, and is someone I've watched since my time with him at Farsley.

"I know his work rate and work ethic, and he's a humble person as well, and hungry. That's what I want here at Scunthorpe United. I want people that want to represent the club, and I think Carlton will do that. By no means is he the finished article, but his unbelievable work ethic will get him there."

Meanwhile, Ubaezuonu added: “I’m excited to be here. It’s a big, big project and a big club. I got the call from Andy, I know him well from Farsley, and I’m very happy to be here.

“He’s very determined and wants to win every game. He works hard, and that’s his number one attribute. He’s a team player, and they’re attributes that bode well with me. I feel he deserves this new role that he has, and I’m grateful that he wants me to be here.”