Caleb Okoli was one of the first signings following Leicester City’s return to the Premier League.
Brought to the King Power Stadium by then-manager Steve Cooper, Okoli left his native Italy to join the Foxes.
His first impressions of Leicester were positive, with Okoli admitting he was left speechless by the training ground upon arrival.
After starting the season as a regular in the starting XI, the dismissal of Cooper, who was replaced by Ruud van Nistelrooy, saw the defender fall out of favour.
However, stats have showed that Okoli is Leicester’s best defender this season and he could have a big role to play in the remainder of the season.
But who is Caleb Okoli? Let’s look into the life of the Foxes star.
What position does Caleb Okoli play?
Caleb Okoli is a defender who primarily operates as a centre-back.
He can also play as a right-back if desperately needed but prefers to play in the centre of defence, whether that be as part of a back four or back three.
When did Caleb Okoli join Leicester City?
Okoli joined Leicester in July 2024, signing a five-year deal.
After completing the move, he told the club website: “I think now is the right moment [for me] to make a step forward and a very big one. I’m very happy with the choice I made, so I’m very excited to start in the Premier League. Now I’m here in Leicester I’m feeling ready to start with my new team.
“It was the right opportunity and it’s very important for me. The Premier League is the best league in the world. Leicester is a beautiful club, an important club and the two combined together, so I took this opportunity to come and express myself in the Premier League.”
What shirt number does Caleb Okoli wear?
Okoli wears the number five shirt at Leicester City.
This is one of the most prestigious numbers to wear at the club and was previously donned by Premier League title-winning captain Wes Morgan.
Where was Caleb Okoli born?
Okoli was born in Vicenza, Italy on 13 July 2001.
How tall is Caleb Okoli?
Okoli stands at approximately 1.91m, or six feet and three inches, making him one of the taller players in the squad.
Caleb Okoli’s parents
Although born in Italy, both of Okoli’s parents, Paul and Tina are of Nigerian descent and had made the move in 1996.
What country does Caleb Okoli represent?
Okoli could play for Nigeria but chose to represent Italy at senior level instead.
He was first capped by the 2006 World Cup winners in 2019 as part of the Under-17s squad.
In September 2024, Okoli received his first senior call up but is yet to make his debut.
Shortly after the call up, Okoli’s dad told Vicenza-based newspaper Il Giornale di Vicenza: “If there is a chance for Caleb to play, we will be there one hundred percent, as always. We are very happy for this call-up, and obviously Caleb is too.
“We found out by reading it in the newspaper; at that point we called him and he told us that just a moment before he had received the official call, he was very happy”.
Caleb Okoli Instagram/X
Okoli can be found on Instagram @caleb_okoli.
Instagram is the only account Okoli can be found on as he doesn’t have an X profile but is spotted posting regularly on his social media. He mostly posts pictures of training sessions or matchdays.
Caleb Okoli salary
According to Capology, Okoli is earning a salary of £25,000-a-week, which equates to £1.3m across the entire 2024/25 season.
Caleb Okoli market value
As of February 2025, Okoli is valued by Transfermarkt at €12m (£10m).
This is a slight drop off from the reported £15m they signed the defender for in July 2024.