Daryl Enyinnaya Dike (born June 3, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker for EFL Championship club West Bromwich Albion and the United States national team.
Dike played college soccer for the University of Virginia and was selected in the first round (5th overall) of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft by Orlando having already signed a Generation Adidas contract.
Early years
Born in Edmond, Oklahoma, Dike played soccer at Edmond North High School, captaining the side from his sophomore season onward. A three-time Oklahoma Offensive Player of the Year, he scored an Oklahoma 6A state record 70 goals and helped his team win a state championship. In 2018 he was named Gatorade Player of the Year for Oklahoma.
Dike played for OKC Energy U23 in the PDL during the 2018 season between high school and college soccer, making four appearances and scoring three goals.
Virginia Cavaliers
Ahead of the 2018 NCAA Division I men's soccer season, Dike signed a national letter of intent to play college soccer for the Virginia Cavaliers. Originally a reserve, Dike became a regular starter for the Cavaliers a month into the season. He made his college soccer debut on September 18, 2018, playing 34 minutes in a 2–0 victory against FIU. On September 21, 2018, Dike made his first start, playing 57 minutes in a 2–0 win at Syracuse. Dike scored his first collegiate goal on October 2, 2018, in a 2–1 victory against Wright State. He scored four more goals during the season before an injury sidelined him during the 2018 ACC Men's Soccer Tournament. Dike returned on November 18, 2018 for the NCAA tournament, where he recorded his first collegiate assist in a 2–0 victory against Furman. Dike finished the 2018 season with 13 appearances, five goals, and an assist. Dike was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and the ACC Academic Honor Roll.
Dike started all 23 matches for Virginia during his sophomore year. On August 30, 2019, in the opening game of the 2019 season, Dike registered two assists in a 2–0 win against Pacific. Dike led the Cavaliers with goals and assists during the 2019 season, netting 10 goals and providing eight assists. He scored both of Virginia's two goals on December 13, 2019 in the College Cup semifinals against Wake Forest. On December 15, 2019, Dike scored the tying goal in the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship Game against Georgetown to send the game to overtime, where Virginia ultimately lost in penalty kicks. Dike was named the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament Most Outstanding Player following the match, giving Dike his first national collegiate award. Additionally, Dike was named to the All-ACC Second Team.
Professional career
Orlando City
Rookie season
On January 9, 2020, Dike was selected in the first round (5th overall) of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft by Orlando City having already signed a Generation Adidas contract. On July 25, 2020, he made his professional debut as an 75th-minute substitute for Tesho Akindele in a 1–0 victory over Montreal Impact during the MLS is Back Tournament round of 16. On August 22, Dike made his first start for the team in his first regular season MLS match and subsequently scored his first professional goal in a 3–2 defeat to Inter Miami. Four days later he scored his first career brace in a 3–1 win over Nashville SC. With three goals and two assists in five matches, Dike was named MLS Player of the Month for August 2020. In October, Dike was announced as #10 in the annual MLS 22 Under 22 list, the first Orlando player since Cyle Larin in 2017 to be included. With MLS electing to change the annual Rookie of the Year award to Young Player of the Year in 2020, Dike was the highest-ranked rookie but came third in the voting behind five-year pro Diego Rossi and second-year pro Brenden Aaronson.