Can't read my Poku face

Data correct as of 11 August 2025

Ernest Poku
Age: 21 (born 28 January 2004)
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Position: Forward / Right winger
Country: Netherlands (25 youth caps)

Key stats

Born in Hamburg to Ghanaian parents, Poku's football journey began at Amsterdam-based amateur side SV Robinhood, before the youngster was picked up by FC Amsterdam's academy, where he stayed until 2019.

That year, Poku moved north of the Dutch capital, joining Eredivisie outfit AZ Alkmaar to continue his development in their academy, before breaking into the reserve team - Jong AZ - in 2021.

For the reserves, Poku made his debut on 30 April 2021 in a 1-0 away win at Roda JC Kerkrade in the second division. The young forward ultimately scored 16 goals in 59 appearances for the U21s.

During his time in the youth setup, the forward also led AZ to UEFA Youth League glory in 2022/23, scoring eight goals in the competition, including two in the final against Croatian outfit Hajduk Split.

Poku's Eredivisie debut came early in his Alkmaar career, mere months after his debut for the reserves and at just 17 years of age as the Dutchman came off the bench in a 1-0 defeat away at RKC Waalwijk.

Just four days later, the youngster had his first taste of European football, featuring in a 2-0 first-leg defeat to Glasgow Celtic in the play-offs for the UEFA Europa League.

The 2023/24 campaign was something of a breakout season for Poku, which saw him feature more regularly in the first team and on April 28, 2024, he scored his first Eredivisie goal in a 3-0 win at NEC Nijmegen.

A hip injury kept the winger out of the team for the start of the 2024/25 season, but from Matchday 9 onwards, Poku was a regular starter, making 23 appearances, of which 17 were starts. At the time of his Bundesliga switch, the forward had made 79 appearances in all competitions for Alkmaar, netting six times. 

At international level, Poku has also caught the eye. Most recently in the 2025 U21 UEFA European Championships, he made five appearances, scoring twice, with his finish against Portugal in the quarter-finals steering the Jong Oranje to the semi-finals, where they were knocked out by eventual champions England.

Plays a bit like: Karim Adeyemi

Although coming in three inches shorter than his Borussia Dortmund counterpart at 5'8'', Poku is blessed with electric pace, a low center of gravity and both the ability and desire to go past defenders at the drop of a hat - sound familiar?

Although typically deployed on the opposite flank to Adeyemi, the Dutchman can play on either side and tends to prefer operating as an inside forward.

Did you know?

At the U21 European Championships in June, Poku registered a sprint speed of 22 mph (35.3 km/h), which made him the fastest player at the tournament.

Watch: Bayer Leverkusen unveil Ernest Poku

What they're saying

"Ernest Poku is a brilliant winger who can give us something special up front with his pace and dribbling ability. He is tricky and assertive and with his tempo and his dynamism." - Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes

"Ernest is a striker with a lot of depth and a knack for goal. It's impressive that he has adapted so quickly to the level required at AZ after coming from the amateurs. That demonstrates a great capacity to learn." - AZ head of youth development Paul Brandenburg

"From the moment our scouts spotted Ernest at FC Amsterdam and after he joined our youth academy, his development has been incredibly rapid... he has invested heavily in understanding all that goes into optimal development as a top athlete. It's admirable, and it makes everyone at AZ proud, to see the great strides Ernest has made." - AZ director of football affairs Max Huibert