Latest News
Maidstone sign English-Nigerian midfielder Tariq Uwakwe
Maidstone have signed English-Nigerian midfielder Tariq Uwakwe after he had been without a club.
The 26-year-old left-sided midfielder joins the National League South club on 4 September 2026 and will add experience across midfield to Maidstone’s squad. Uwakwe is naturally left-footed and was born in London.
He spent the previous season without a club after leaving Swindon Town, whom he joined from Crewe Alexandra in August 2023. His move to Swindon followed a free transfer from Crewe, having previously been on the books of Chelsea’s under-23 side.
Uwakwe has made 44 appearances in League Two, scoring once and providing six assists. He has also featured in League One, the National League, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup and the EFL Trophy during his career.
His record in the EFL Trophy includes five goals in 12 appearances, while he made 32 appearances in Premier League 2 and scored twice. Earlier in his development, he played 31 times in the Under-18 Premier League, recording nine goals and five assists.
Uwakwe began his youth career with Chelsea and formed part of the club’s Under-18 side that won the FA Youth Cup in both the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. He also helped Chelsea Under-18 win the English Youth League in each of those campaigns.
The midfielder spent the 2020-21 season on loan at Accrington from Chelsea Under-23 before returning to the London club. He then left Chelsea for Crewe Alexandra on a free transfer in January 2022, later moving to Swindon in the summer of 2023.
His time at Swindon included loan spells with Maidenhead United and Aldershot during the 2024-25 season. He joined Maidenhead in September 2024 and moved to Aldershot in March 2025, returning to Swindon after each spell.
Uwakwe’s arrival gives Maidstone a player with experience at several levels of the English game, as well as a background in Chelsea’s youth system. He has now switched to the Kent club after more than a year without a team.
Maidstone have completed the signing of Tariq Uwakwe.
