Powerfully built striker, who made his name in the Spurs Academy side and quickly rose through the ranks to get into the first team, Jonathan Obika looked as though he might have a fine future in the game, but has found it difficult to break through into the first team at Tottenham.
A local lad, Jon attended Bishops Stopford secondary school in Enfield.
Made his Spurs debut as a substitute in the away UEFA Cup tie at NEC Nijmegen and started against Shakhtar Donetsk in the same competition at home, before going on loan to Yeovil Town for the last two months of the season, where he scored the goals that kept the Somerset team in League One. Returned for the first half of the 2009-2010 season, but was recalled to Spurs in January transfer window, but went straight out on loan again, this time to Millwall, who he helped at the other end of the season, with the club gaining promotion through the play-offs.
Signed his first professional contract with the club in January 2009, before going out to get experience with loan spells at Yeovil Town, Millwall, Crystal Palace, Peterborough United, Swindon Town and Charlton Athletic, where Jon has usually scored goals, as well as contributing to the team by playing the role of the hold up man to receive the out ball from the back. A good goal-scorer, who has the happy knack of being in the right spot to finish off chances or to make goals out of loose balls in the area, Obika has found his opportunities in the first team limited by a succession of big money forwards bought in to bring instant goals.
Muscular and difficult to knock off the ball, Jon is able to run at players at pace, is decent in the air and can play others in if better placed. Sometimes he does not impose himself on opposition defences as he should, but does not hide away when things are not going his way.
Since making his debut, Obika has only featured in a handful of matches and has been on the bench for some Premier League games, but with record club signings in the summer of 2013, it is doubtful that Jon will be able to command a first team berth, so more loan time away from the Lane or even a permanent move might get him the experience he needs. Injury prevented that and a six goal haul in a Spurs XI friendly persuaded Brighton to take him for the rest of the season, but he was recalled by Tottenham in March 2014 to return on loan to Charlton Athletic until the end of the season.
Signing a new deal with
Tottenham, it looked as though this might be a ruse to
get a payment if he left the club, which he did on
transfer deadline day to move back to Swindon Town, one
his his many previous loan clubs. While never
looking the most pleasing forward on the eye, Obika does
manage to get into the positions striker needs to hit
the net and he will do well for Swindon in League One,
although he has played well at a higher level.