Émile Mpenza
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Émile Mpenza | ||
 |
||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Émile Lokonda Mpenza | |
| Date of birth | July 4, 1978 | |
| Place of birth | Brussels, Belgium | |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | |
| Playing position | Striker | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Manchester City | |
| Number | 9 | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1995–1996 1996–1997 1997–1999 2000–2003 2003–2004 2004–2006 2006–2007 2007– |
K.V. Kortrijk R.E. Mouscron Standard Liège FC Schalke 04 Standard Liège Hamburger SV Al Rayyan Manchester City |
32 (5) 31 (12) 46 (20) 79 (28) 28 (21) 36 (5) 19 (9) 25 (5) |
| National team2 | ||
| 1997– | Belgium | 54 (17) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Émile Lokonda Mpenza (born July 4, 1978 in Brussels) is a Belgian footballer, of DR Congolese parentage. He plays as a striker for Manchester City F.C.
[edit] Football career
Mpenza started his career at K.V. Kortrijk, and then moved to R.E. Mouscron and Standard Liège in quick succession, with older brother Mbo playing alongside in all three clubs. In 2000 he moved to Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04, returning to Standard three years later. In 2004–05 he returned to Germany when Hamburger SV signed him for €2.5million. However, in January 2006 he made a surprise move to Qatari team Al Rayyan.
He signed for Manchester City after playing and scoring in a specially arranged match at Eastlands on 14 February 2007. "I am not finished and I will prove it in Manchester", Mpenza told Belgian radio station Bel-RTL. "I make this move as revenge, with respect to all those who criticised my decision to play in Qatar".
Mpenza made his debut against Wigan Athletic as a half-time substitute replacing Georgios Samaras and was arguably City's best player. He scored his first goal for the club in the 2–0 win at Middlesbrough on 17 March 2007, and scored his second in the 1–0 victory at Newcastle United on the 30 March 2007. He scored once more in the 2006–07 season, away to Tottenham Hotspur on the last day of the season where City lost 2–1.
Having signed until the end of the 2007–08 season, Mpenza scored on City's first pre-season game of the 2007–08 season away to Doncaster Rovers.
[edit] International career
Mpenza plays with the Belgium national football team since 1997, though he has frequently been injured in times of international call-ups. He played alongside his brother Mbo in the 1998 World Cup and in Euro 2000, but missed out on the World Cup in 2002 with a groin injury.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Celestine Babayaro |
Belgian Young Footballer of the Year 1996-1997 |
Succeeded by Eric Addo |
| Preceded by Celestine Babayaro |
Belgian Ebony Shoe 1997 |
Succeeded by Eric Addo |
|
|||||||
.svg/50px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png){kind=small}
|
|||||||
|
|||||
