Britt Assombalonga

Britt Assombalonga

Assombalonga playing for Watford in 2012
Personal information
Full name Britt Curtis Assombalonga[1]
Date of birth (1992-12-06) 6 December 1992[2]
Place of birth Kinshasa, Zaire
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)[2]
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
 Nottingham Forest
Number 9
Youth career
2010–2011 Watford
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2011–2013 Watford 4 (0)
2011–2012 → Wealdstone (loan) 11 (6)
2012 → Braintree Town (loan) 5 (5)
2012–2013 → Southend United (loan) 43 (15)
2013–2014 Peterborough United 43 (23)
2014– Nottingham Forest 32 (15)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 April 2016.

† Appearances (goals)

Britt Curtis Assombalonga (born 6 December 1992) is a Congolese-English professional footballer who plays for Nottingham Forest as a striker.

Early life

Assambalonga was born in Zaire but his family moved to London when he was eight months old.[3] He grew up in Swiss Cottage, in the London borough of Camden, and went to Whitefield school. He is the son of Fedor Assombalonga, a former Zaire international footballer.[3]

Club career

Watford

Britt Assombalonga began his career with Watford, signing for them as a youth player in 2010 at the age of 17, having made his way up via the Hertswood Impact Scheme. In his first full season in the youth team, he finished as the second-top goal scorer, as his team made it to the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals. Assombalonga also made many appearances for Watford's reserve team during this time. At the end of the season, Assombalonga was rewarded for his performances with a one-year professional contract at Watford, and was an unused substitute for the senior squad's last two games against Preston North End and Queens Park Rangers.[4]

Assombalonga eventually made his first-team debut for Watford on 17 March 2012, in a 0–0 draw with Coventry City. This made him the 50th player to go through Watford's Academy and then play in the first-team.[5]

Loan to Wealdstone

To gain more playing experience, Assombalonga was loaned to Wealdstone in November 2011, along with his Watford youth team-mate Connor Smith.[6] On 3 December, he scored his first goal for Wealdstone in a league match against Concord Rangers. Assombalonga had his loan spell extended for another month on 4 January 2012.[7] Assombalonga returned to Watford on 4 February 2012, having scored 11 goals in 16 games for Wealdstone.

Loan to Braintree Town

Having spent time at Wealdstone, Assombalonga was loaned to Braintree Town on a one-month deal just days after returning to Watford; he also signed a one-year contract extension with Watford on the same day.[8] Assombalonga made an eventful debut in a 3–3 draw against Lincoln City; he scored his first goal for the club to put Braintree 3–2 up, and was then sent off for a second bookable offence.[9] Assombalonga scored four more goals in four games for Braintree after serving his one-match suspension, and was subsequently recalled by Watford to join their senior squad.[10]

Loan to Southend United

At the start of the 2012–13 season, Assombalonga joined Football League Two side Southend United on what the club described as "an initial one-month loan".[11] He scored his first goal for Southend on 25 August 2012 in a 3–3 draw against Northampton Town, and went on to score five goals in four matches, including a brace in a 3–1 win against Dagenham & Redbridge on 7 September.[12] At the end of the one-month loan, Southend extended the loan deal to run until 3 January 2013.[13] Having established himself in the first team, Assombalonga became the club's top scorer that season with a total of 15 goals.[14] Southend again extended Assombalonga's loan in December 2012, keeping him at the club until the end of the season.[15] He played in the 2013 League Trophy Final against Crewe Alexandra which Southend lost 2–0.[16]

Peterborough United

On 31 July 2013, League One side Peterborough United broke their previous transfer record to sign Assombalonga from Watford on a four-year deal.[17] The fee was undisclosed, but was confirmed as greatly exceeding the clubs previous £1.1m record fee. He was given the number 9 shirt. Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony hailed the deal, saying he was "delighted", and that Assombalonga had been Peterborough's main transfer target.[18] On the opening game of the season, he scored on his debut as Peterborough defeated Swindon Town 1–0.[19] He scored a penalty in a 3–1 win over Chesterfield at Wembley in the 2014 Football League Trophy Final.

Nottingham Forest

On 6 August 2014, Assombalonga joined Nottingham Forest on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee[20] reported to be in the region of £5 million which could rise to £8 million based on appearances (of which Watford will receive 50% due to sell-on clauses).[21][22] This makes Assombalonga Nottingham Forest's record signing, eclipsing the £4.5 million fee paid to Celtic for striker Pierre van Hooijdonk in 1997.[23]

Assombalonga scored his first goals for Forest twelve days after signing netting a brace against Bolton Wanderers at the Macron Stadium.[24] He then scored a goal each in their next two games, against Bournemouth and Reading respectively. He scored in his first East Midlands Derby, by opening the scoring against Derby County.[25][26] Assombalonga scored his first hat-trick for Forest on 17 September in a 5–3 home victory against recently relegated Fulham. He then scored again in the next East Midlands Derby, equalising at Pride Park as Forest went on to win 2–1.[27]

On 11 February 2015 during a 3–0 victory over Wigan Athletic, Assombalonga sustained a knee injury that was estimated to keep him out of the game for twelve months.[28] Having missed fourteen months of first-team football, Assombalonga made his return from injury on the 19 April 2016 as an 84th minute substitute for Robert Tesche in a draw against Blackburn Rovers.[29]

International career

Assombalonga is eligible to represent both England and the Democratic Republic of the Congo internationally. In August 2014, he was named on a 37-man provisional DR Congo squad list for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tournament group stage,[30] but withdrew from the final squad.[31]

Career statistics

As of 30 April 2016
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Watford 2011–12[32] Championship 400000—40
Wealdstone (loan)
2011–12[33]
 Isthmian Premier Division 11600—5[lower-alpha 1]51611
Braintree Town (loan)
2011–12[32]
 Conference Premier 5500—0055
Southend United (loan) 2012–13[34] League Two 431500006[lower-alpha 2]14916
Peterborough United
2013–14[35]
 League One 432345318[lower-alpha 3]45833
Nottingham Forest
2014–15[36]
 Championship 29151020—3215
2015–16[37]
 Championship 300000—30
Total 32151020—3515
Career total 138645551191016780
  1. ↑ 4 appearances and 3 goals in FA Trophy, 1 appearance and 2 goals in Middlesex Senior Cup
  2. ↑ Appearances in Football League Trophy
  3. ↑ 2 appearances and 1 goal in Football League One play-offs, 6 appearances and 3 goals in Football League Trophy

Honours

Peterborough United

References

  1. ↑ "Professional retain list & free transfers 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. 18 May 2013. p. 25. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Britt Assombalonga". 11v11. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  3. 1 2 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24160080
  4. ↑ "Watford announce who will be released in the summer". Watford Oberver. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "Watford academy reaches landmark with 50th first-teamer". BBC Sport. 20 March 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  6. ↑ Whitbread, Joe (24 November 2011). "Watford pair Connor Smith and Britt Assombalonga have joined Wealdstone on loan". Watford Observer. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  7. ↑ "Hornets pair extend loans at Wealdstone". Watford Observer. 4 January 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "Watford youngster Britt Assombalonga signs new deal before joining Braintree Town on loan". Watford Observer. 9 February 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  9. ↑ "Watford youngster Britt Assombalonga scores one and sees red in Braintree Town debut". Watford Observer. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  10. ↑ "Watford recall in-form striker Britt Assombalonga from Braintree Town". Watford Observer. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  11. ↑ "Loan: Britt joins Shrimpers". Watford Football Club. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  12. ↑ "Southend 3–1 Dagenham & Redbridge". BBC Sport. 7 September 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  13. ↑ "Watford's Britt Assombalonga extends Southend loan spell". BBC Sport. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  14. ↑ "Southend United duo created mayhem – Paul Sturrock". BBC Sport. 15 October 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  15. ↑ "Britt Assombalonga: Southend United extend Watford man's loan". BBC Sport. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  16. ↑ "Johnstone's Paint Trophy final: Crewe 2–0 Southend". BBC Sport. 7 April 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  17. ↑ "Britt Assombalonga joins Peterborough in club record deal". BBC Sport. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "Peterborough United smash transfer record to sign striker Britt Assombalonga from Watford". Watford Observer. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  19. ↑ "Debut goal delights the Posh entourage". Peterborough Today. 4 August 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  20. ↑ "Reds land front man". http://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/. Nottingham Forest FC. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  21. ↑ http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/article/165/9408910/forest-complete-double-deal
  22. ↑ http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/9408905/
  23. ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2718274/Britt-Assombalonga-joins-Nottingham-Forest-8m-deal-Peterborough-United-Michail-Antonio-arrives-City-Ground.html
  24. ↑ "Bolton 2-2 Forest". Nottingham Forest F.C. 16 August 2014.
  25. ↑ "Bournemouth 1-2 Forest". BBC Sport. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  26. ↑ "Nott'm Forest 4-0 Reading". BBC Sport. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  27. ↑ "Nottingham Forest 5-3 Fulham". BBC Sport. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  28. ↑ "Assombalonga injury update". Nottingham Forest. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  29. ↑ "Forest 1-1 Blackburn". Nottingham Forest. 19 April 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  30. ↑ Gharbi, Sabri (19 August 2014). "CAN 2015 : nouvelle liste de présélectionnés pour la RD Congo" (in French). Star Africa. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  31. ↑ http://fr.starafrica.com/football/can-2015-encore-une-liste-pour-la-rd-congo.html
  32. 1 2 "Games played by Britt Assombalonga in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  33. ↑ "Games played by Britt Assombalonga in 2011/2012 for Wealdstone". Wealdstone F.C. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  34. ↑ "Games played by Britt Assombalonga in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  35. ↑ "Games played by Britt Assombalonga in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  36. ↑ "Games played by Britt Assombalonga in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  37. ↑ "Games played by Britt Assombalonga in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Retrieved 13 September 2015.

External links

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