Emmanuel Uchegbu: Nigerian winger joins NK Varazdin on loan from Crown Legacy FC

Nigerian winger Emmanuel Uchegbu has joined Croatian side NK Varazdin on loan from MLS Next Pro club Crown Legacy FC. The 21-year-old right-sided attacker has signed a deal running until 30 June 2027, keeping him with the SuperSport HNL team for the entirety of the 2026-27 campaign before his scheduled return to the United States.

Uchegbu, who prefers to operate from the right wing and cut in on his left foot, moves to Croatia after a productive spell in MLS Next Pro. He made 37 appearances for Crown Legacy, scoring eight goals and providing three assists, building on earlier professional experience in Europe and Africa.

Born in Onitsha and standing at 1.70m, Uchegbu began his senior career in Nigeria with Ifeanyi Ubah before moving to Plateau United in 2021. His performances in the Nigeria Professional Football League, where he featured 19 times and registered a goal and an assist, earned him his first move to Europe.

He initially joined Trencin’s youth set-up in Slovakia in 2023, progressing to the AS Trencin first team the following year. Uchegbu went on to play in the Slovak top flight and cup competitions, as well as in the Slovnaft Cup and CAF Confederation Cup earlier in his career, before Crown Legacy secured his transfer in March 2025.

Across his senior career to date, Uchegbu has collected experience in league, cup and continental competitions, scoring in Slovakia’s top division and domestic cup as well as in MLS Next Pro.

The move sees Uchegbu swap the United States for Croatia on a loan transfer, with his contract at NK Varazdin set to run until June 2027 before his loan concludes and he returns to Crown Legacy FC.