When discussing Chelsea Academy’s impressive track record under Roman Abramovich, it’s impossible to overlook Tammy Abraham. Born in Greater London to Nigerian parents from Bayelsa state, Tammy’s remarkable journey through football is the focus of this article. We call it “Untold” because there are still lesser-known aspects of his story that many fans might not be aware of. For instance, did you know that Tammy was an Arsenal fan growing up? Or that he grew up alongside his talented brother Timmy, with both showing immense football potential? Now, let’s dive into the story of this footballer, often described as ‘One of José Mourinho’s Boys.’
Bayelsa State’s Own Tammy Abraham: His Football Journey and Life Odyssey
Preamble:
This article tells you the inspiring story of Tammy Abraham, a striker of Nigerian descent from Bayelsa State, known to fans as ‘Tammy.’ His journey from the Chelsea FC Academy to professional acclaim is one of ambition, skill, and the search for identity under different managers. This biography traces Tammy’s path from his Bayelsa state Nigerian roots to his childhood and then his career breakthrough under the guidance of managers like Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel and Jose Mourinho.
Tammy Abraham Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
For those just getting to know his roots, Kevin Oghenetega Tamaraebi Bakumo-Abraham is his full name. His middle name, “Tamaraebi,” translates to “God’s goodness” and is a popular name among the Ijaw people. Another middle name, “Oghenetega,” means “God is worthy of our worship and praise,” which is a common name among the Urhobo people.
Tammy Abraham, born on October 2, 1997, in Camberwell, United Kingdom, is a football star whose journey began with a move that his family made for a better future. His father, originally from Bayelsa State, Nigeria, came to Britain with hopes of giving his family a brighter path. Tammy’s early life was marked by a shift from drama to football, setting the stage for his rise as a notable player.
Abraham’s journey into football began early in his life. Initially, he was more involved in drama at school, where he enjoyed acting before fully committing to football.
He once shared:
“I’d say I was quite good at acting, too. I really loved drama at school. Apart from football, it was something I enjoyed a lot. We would be given a scenario and had to create a scene around it.
I remember one where a little boy got bullied. Naturally, I played the bully because I was the biggest guy!”
Tammy Abraham Biography – Career Start:
Early Years at Chelsea Academy. At that time, Jose Mourinho had just won his early trophies in a team that boasts of Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, etc.
Abraham joined Chelsea’s academy when he was just 8 years old and worked his way up through the ranks. Chelsea managed to sign him after a fierce battle with Arsenal, Tammy’s childhood club. He chose Chelsea over Arsenal to follow in the footsteps of Didier Drogba. On his first day at Chelsea, he even had the chance to meet the African legend himself.
According to Tammy,
“The first player I came across was Didier Drogba. I remember walking outside the academy, and I was cold.
He saw me outside, picked me up in his car, and dropped me at the training ground. I was eight or nine.
As soon as I got out of the car, I was looking for my teammates to say, ‘That’s Drogba!’ but I didn’t see anyone!
Road to Fame story:
Tammy was a member of Chelsea’s youth team, and during his time there, the team won both the FA Youth Cup and UEFA Youth League two years in a row, in 2015 and 2016.
At this stage of his life, Abraham showed lots of promise as a Striker.
In the 2016 UEFA Youth League, Abraham made a big impact, scoring eight goals in nine matches and finishing as the tournament’s second-highest scorer. He continued his strong form in the FA Youth Cup, where he scored the winning goal in Chelsea’s victory over Manchester City.
Over the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons, Abraham netted 74 goals in 98 matches for Chelsea’s youth teams. His impressive performances caught the eye of interim manager Guus Hiddink, who invited him to train with the senior team towards the end of the 2015–16 season.
To get more playing time, Abraham was loaned out, first to Bristol City and then to Swansea. At Bristol City, he made a big impact, earning both the Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season awards, and he ended up as the club’s top scorer with 23 goals in 41 appearances.
Tammy’s successful loan spell at Bristol City: Top goalscorer and dual award-winner.
At the time of writing, Tammy Abraham’s time with Roma is nearing its end following José Mourinho’s departure from the club. Under Mourinho’s guidance, Abraham was pivotal in securing the 2021/2022 UEFA Europa Conference League. This triumph came right after he celebrated winning the UEFA Champions League with Mason Mount and Reece James the previous season. And as they say, the rest is history.
Tammy Abraham Family Life:
The striker is from a humble family background, and the state in Nigeria he comes from is Bayelsa – precisely Yenagoa. He was born in London to a Nigerian father and a British mother who are middle-class earners and media-shy.
They are proud of their two boys (Tammy and Timmy), who are both footballers. Tammy recently bought a luxury sports car for his parents. Indeed, The dream of every good child is to make their parent happy !!
Tammy unleashes a new sports car gift to his parents.
He has a younger brother, Timmy, who plays in the academy system at Fulham at the time of writing.
Tammy Abraham’s Brother – Timmy.
Their dad currently manages both of their careers.
Love Life with Leah Monroe:
The Ex-Swansea goal machine is currently in a serious relationship with his hot girlfriend, whose name is Leah Monroe.
Tammy Abraham’s Girlfriend – Leah Monroe.
Away from football, Tammy seems to be winning, too. He recently took to Instagram to show off his hot girlfriend, who could well be his fiancee, judging by the ring emoji in the caption.
Tammy Abraham is chilling with his wife in the making – Leah Monroe.
Lifestyle:
Abraham loves African outfits. He sometimes tunes his Fashion to the African style. This has prompted Nigeria to seek a request for Tammy to come to play for the country (His father’s land).
Preserving family heritage is essential for Tammy Abraham.
Allegiance to England:
The Nigerian football federation president, Amaju Pinnick, once stated he could convince Abraham — who he described as “like a son” — to switch allegiances from playing for England to Nigeria.
Initially, the London-born Abraham, who was scoring goals regularly for Bristol, did not rule out the possibility of playing for the Super Eagles. He said:
“I have to keep doing well for Bristol City for England, and Nigeria should keep fighting for me. I’m Nigerian as well, so it is possible to play for Nigeria. I have to stay focused on playing here, and whatever happens will happen.”
However, on September 21, 2017, Pinnick claimed that Abraham had decided to represent Nigeria. Abraham quickly issued a statement the same day, denying the claim and reaffirming his commitment to being available for England selection.
He disappointed Nigeria and decided to stay with England even though he saw great competition in the team, unlike the Nigerian team.
A long-time friend of Roman Abramovich:
Tammy was among the few youth footballers Roman Abramovich loved. The former Chelsea owner found time to watch his game as he fired Blues youth to glory. The Chelsea owner was once convinced to call for the Chelsea youth best boys to take shots with him. Both Tammy and Dominic Solanke are included, as seen in the picture below.
Young Tammy, teammates with Roman Abramovich. At this young age, they were already close friends with the former Chelsea owner, Roman.
You might find it interesting that Marc Guehi (CB), Fikayo Tomori (CB), Tariq Lamptey (RB), Michael Olise (RW), and Jamal Musiala (AM) were all once part of Chelsea Academy when the club was still owned by the Russian billionaire.
The Car Accident:
In January 2017, while on loan at Bristol City, Abraham was involved in a car accident. At the time, he was driving without a license or insurance, which led to him being summoned to court.
Tammy Abraham’s Car Accident – The Scene.
The Contract:
Tammy Abraham made sure he amended his wages with Chelsea by signing a £50k-a-week Chelsea contract before joining Swansea on loan. As I update this Bio, he earns 110,962 euros weekly with Roma.
Abraham confirmed the deal on social media, posting an image of himself and putting pen to paper. The post was subsequently deleted, as advised by his father. According to sources, the contract was to amend financial negotiations with Swansea, who pays him the same £50k- amount per week. Without a doubt, Tammy’s fairy tale rise is similar to that of Marcus Rashford.
