Meet Ernest Poku: Getting to know the rising star in the Eredivisie
Ernest Poku's five-year contract of about €14 million shows his impact as one of the rising stars in European football. His unique playing skills have seen him move from AZ Alkmaar’s academy to the Bundesliga, where his pace and attacking flair continue to turn heads.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Ernest Poku was born on 28 January 2004 in Hamburg, Germany, to Ghanaian parents.
- He began his football career at amateur club SV Robinhood before joining FC Amsterdam’s academy.
- Poku joined AZ Alkmaar’s youth academy in 2019 and later broke into Jong AZ and the first team.
- In 2025, he signed a long-term deal with Bayer Leverkusen, reportedly worth up to €14 million including bonuses.
Profile summary
Full name | Ernest Poku |
Date of birth | 28 January 2004 |
Age | 21 years old (as of 2025) |
Place of birth | Hamburg, Germany |
Current residence | Europe |
Nationality | Dutch |
Siblings | A younger brother, Emmanuel Poku |
Profession | Professional footballer |
Playing position | Winger/forward |
Social media |
Ernest Poku was born to Ghanaian parents
Poku was born on 28 January 2004 in Hamburg, Germany, to Ghanaian parents. He was born in Germany but raised in the Netherlands, where he developed his football skills.
According to Transfermarkt, he has a younger brother, Emmanuel Poku, who is also pursuing a professional football career and currently plays for Almere City FC. Despite growing up in the Netherlands, Poku shared his Ghanaian heritage with 3News in December 2025:
I love the food, I love the music. My parents are also from Ghana, so I can speak a Ghanaian language.
Source: Original
He began his football career with SV Robinhood
Poku’s football journey began at the Amsterdam-based amateur club SV Robinhood, where his talent quickly became evident. A Bundesliga feature later highlighted SV Robinhood as the foundation of his early development.
His performances earned him a place at FC Amsterdam’s academy, where he stayed until 2019 before moving to AZ Alkmaar. Reflecting on how the club discovered him, AZ’s head of academy, Paul Brandenburg, explained in an interview with Voetbal International:
We got a tip and went to watch a training session at FC Amsterdam. After just a few minutes, we knew it: we had to have him.
Ernest Poku's shine at AZ Alkmaar
In the summer of 2019, Poku joined AZ’s youth academy, where he continued his steady development. His progress culminated in a promotion to Jong AZ, the club’s reserve side, in 2021.
Poku made his debut for Jong AZ on 30 April 2021, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 away victory against Roda JC Kerkrade in the Dutch second division. During his time with the U21 side, he made 59 appearances and scored 16 goals, underlining his growing influence as an attacking player.
Source: Getty Images
Contract extension and first-team breakthrough
Footballer Ernest Poku initially signed a contract with AZ that ran until mid-2023. The club extended his contract to mid-2026 following his impressive performances.
On 28 January 2022, he was officially promoted from Jong AZ to AZ’s first team. Speaking to AZ in January 2022 about his rapid development, Poku said:
I feel like I’m making progress. This is the first season I’m fully involved in professional football. Things are getting better, and I feel like I’m making progress. At the beginning of this season, I was able to show my skills at the training camp with AZ 1. I immediately thought: I want to stay with this team. And now I’ve succeeded.
He won the UEFA Youth League
In the 2022/23 season, Poku impressively won the UEFA Youth League with Alkmaar, including two goals in the 5-0 victory in the final against Hajduk Split. After the match in April 2023, Poku told UEFA how the team achieved the victory:
As a team, we agreed we'd push it to the max, and we did that. I don't know if everybody expected it, but they called us underdogs; it is nice to be called that. And as I said, we just went out all for each other. And the team that works best and puts in the most energy wins.
Poku scored a total of eight goals in the competition. His continued progress was rewarded when he scored his first Eredivisie goal for AZ Alkmaar on 28 April 2024. The football player eventually made his breakthrough in the 2024/25 campaign.
Source: Getty Images
Poku plays internationally
Internationally, Ernest Poku has continued to make a strong impression. According to Bayer04, he has represented the Netherlands across multiple youth categories, progressing through the U16s, U19s, and U21s.
During the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, he had his most notable exposure. He featured in five matches and scored twice. One of his standout moments came in the quarter-final against Portugal, where his decisive finish propelled Jong Oranje into the semi-finals.
He currently plays for Bayer Leverkusen
The Dutch-Ghanaian winger signed a five-year deal with Bayer Leverkusen from AZ Alkmaar, expected to run till 2030. The club shared the news of the transfer in an Instagram post, saying:
Ernest Poku has joined Bayer 04 Leverkusen from AZ Alkmaar. He has signed until 2030.
While Ernest Poku's salary is not public knowledge, as Football Oranje shared, Leverkusen agreed to pay €12 million plus €2 million in bonuses for the winger.
Source: Getty Images
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Ernest Poku? He is a Dutch professional football player who plays as a winger and forward.
- Is Ernest Poku Ghanaian? Poku is of Ghanaian descent through his parents and is eligible to represent Ghana internationally.
- What are Ernest Poku's weaknesses? According to WhoScored, the player is weak in passing, aerial duels, crossing, holding on to the ball, and in defensive contribution.
Conclusion
Ernest Poku has established himself as one of the Eredivisie’s most promising talents. With his move to Bayer Leverkusen, the winger’s career is only just beginning.
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