Manchester United and Denmark full-back Patrick Dorgu has revealed the meaning of his Nigerian name and why it holds significant meaning for him.
The 20-year-old was Ruben Amorim’s first signing since he took over the coaching reins at Old Trafford in November 2024.
Although he achieved a lifelong dream by joining the three-time UEFA Champions League winners, Dorgu hasn’t had it easy in United, as he’s constantly come under scrutiny for his indecisiveness in the final third during games.
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Nigerian parents, the former Lecce man has maintained his Nigerian roots, despite choosing to play for the Danish Dynamites internationally.
After joining Manchester United, he made an important request to officially acknowledge his Nigerian heritage by incorporating his middle name, Chinazaekpere, into his details.
Recently, in a local church, the blistering full-back discussed his beliefs and shared the meaning of his Igbo name, a sect of Nigerians located in the south-eastern part of the country.
“Chinazaekpere means ‘God answers prayers. That’s what my parents gave to me when I was born,” the former Nordsjælland FC man said in quotes revealed by Manchester United’s official website.
“Religion means a lot to me; it’s always been a big part of my life and my family’s.
“I’ve always been praying since I was young, and I keep praying.
“Family and the community are what I’ve grown up with in Denmark, so it’s good to try and maintain it here [Manchester] too.
“I come to pray at this church on Sunday if I have the time and we don’t have a game; I try to be here as much as I can,” Dorgu continued.
Quizzed if his prayers give him and his teammates an edge whenever they play against their opponents, the 1.85m tall defender said:
“I don’t know if it [religion] has an advantage [on the pitch]. It’s about always believing, believing that God has a plan for me, and for my career.
“United is a massive club, I knew it would be a great opportunity, and I always think that God has a plan for everything.
“The fact that United were the only team in for me in January meant, for me, it has to be here.
“I’ve had ups and downs. It’s just about always believing in myself and believing that I can always get better by getting top moments on the pitch.
“It’s about learning from my mistakes. It’s about me always giving my best and giving the best side of me,” Dorgu concluded.
Since Ruben Amorim took over the coaching reins from Erik Ten Hag at Manchester United, the Red Devils have yet to win consecutive Premier League games.

Arsenal came into this season on the back of a busy summer transfer window where they spent around £250m and brought in eight players to propel another push for the Premier League title.
As they swept aside Nottingham Forest 3-0 with five of those new signings starting, the Gunners showed why such aggressive recruitment was justified.
Mikel Arteta’s side were without key trio Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and William Saliba through injury, while skipper Martin Odegaard limped off in only the 18th minute.
But it mattered little as Arsenal showed their strength in depth to cruise to an impressive success.
Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi were their statement signings and likely to start regardless of the opposition.
But with Declan Rice named as a substitute, manager Arteta has ripped up his tier system for this campaign, where he had a number of players who were guaranteed starters and expected to play most of the games.
And despite their injury troubles, Arsenal have won three of their first four league games and are yet to concede a goal from open play.

Asisat Oshoala has said it is a great start in Saudi Arabia after she scored on her league debut for Al Hilal.
“It’s just a beginning, first game of the season, and we hope to continue like this as a team,” she said.
“A really good game for us as a team, first game at home against a good side Al Qadsiah.
The Super Falcons star inspired Al Hilal to go past Al Qadsiah 4-3 in the opening game of the new league season by netting the third goal of her team.
She put away a penalty in the 62nd minute to make it 3-2 for Al Hilal.
The 30-year-old Oshoala has signed a two-year contract with the Riyadh club.