[9] He scored seven goals in eight European Cup appearances in the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League, (including a hat-trick against Olympiakos and a penalty in the 3–0 win over Manchester United).

Signed by Harry Redknapp, Yakubu helped Portsmouth win the 2002–03 First Division title, scoring at a rate of one goal in every two games (7 in 14 matches).

Seven days later, Yakubu scored a goal in each half of a 6–2 victory over Derby County for his first brace in English football.

[13] Yakubu scored his first Premier League goal in his second match, opening a 1–1 draw versus Manchester City on 23 August 2003.

On 10 January he scored his first Premier League brace with two goals in the second half of a 4–2 home win over Manchester City.

[20] His transfer from Portsmouth to Middlesbrough in July 2005 is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry[21] report in June 2007 expressed concerns because of the lack of co-operation from agents Pinhas Zahavi and Barry Silkman.

[22] Yakubu was transferred to Everton in August 2007 for a fee of £11.25 million on a five-year contract,[4] which was at the time the most the club had ever paid for a player.

Following Nigeria's exit from the competition, he was late in returning to his club, and as a result was dropped by manager David Moyes once back in England.

Yakubu played his first competitive game after the Achilles tendon injury against Burnley Reserves, and in his first start for the first team in almost a year, he scored within 11 minutes against Hull City in the League Cup.

He came on for Jô in first-half injury time and scored an equaliser with his first touch to bring Everton level at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.

[31] Yakubu joined Leicester City on loan until the end of the season on 13 January 2011, with the possibility of a permanent transfer.

[35] On 31 August 2011, Yakubu signed a three-year contract with Blackburn Rovers for an undisclosed fee and was assigned the number 24 shirt by manager Steve Kean.

[43] Yakubu confirmed on 28 June 2012 that he had left Blackburn and had signed for Chinese side Guangzhou R&F,[44] on an initial three-year contract.

[47] On 14 February, Yakubu scored his first goal for the Royals with the winner in a 2–1 defeat of Derby County at Pride Park to put the club into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

[49] On 31 August 2015, Yakubu signed a one-year contract, with the option of an additional year, with Süper Lig side Kayserispor.

[51] On 5 April 2017, having featured only three times due to suffering a hamstring injury, Yakubu's Coventry City contract was terminated by mutual consent.

[55] Yakubu made his full international debut on 22 April 2000 in a 4–0 home win in Lagos against Eritrea in qualification for the 2002 African Cup of Nations.

On 1 July 2001, he scored his first international brace, with the second and fourth goals in a 4–0 away win over Sudan in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification stage.

He was named in the squad for the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations in Mali and was given the number 8 shirt by manager Shuaibu Amodu.

However, Yakubu was not named later in the year in the squad selected by new manager Festus Onigbinde for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

[citation needed] On 7 June 2003, Yakubu scored Nigeria's first two goals as they came from behind to beat Malawi 4–1 in a qualifier for the 2004 African Cup of Nations.

He retained the number 8 shirt in the squad named for the finals in Tunisia by manager Christian Chukwu but did not score.

[60] Yakubu's penalty made sure that Nigeria earned a result of 2–2 draw, but this was not enough for his side to progress out of the group stages.