Émile Mpenza

Infobox Football biography
playername = Émile Mpenza


fullname = Eka Basunga Lokonda Mpenza
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1978|7|4
cityofbirth = Brussels
countryofbirth = Belgium
height = height|meters=1.78
nickname =
position = Striker
currentclub = Plymouth Argyle
clubnumber = 31
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1995–1996 1996–1997 1997–1999 2000–2003 2003–2004 2004–2006 2006–2007 2007–2008 2008-
clubs = K.V. Kortrijk R.E. Mouscron Standard Liège FC Schalke 04 Standard Liège Hamburger SV Al Rayyan Manchester City Plymouth Argyle
caps(goals) = 32 0(5) 31 (12) 46 (20) 79 (28) 28 (21) 36 0(5) 19 0(9) 25 0(5) 03 0(0)
nationalyears = 1997–
nationalteam = Belgium
nationalcaps(goals) = 54 (17)
pcupdate = October 4 2008
ntupdate = August 16 2007

Eka Basunga Lokonda "Émile" Mpenza (born July 4, 1978 in Brussels) is a Belgian footballer, of DR Congolese parentage. He plays as a striker for English Championship club Plymouth Argyle.

Club 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.

Mpenza signed for Manchester City F.C. 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".

He 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 his second in the 1–0 victory at Newcastle United on the 30th. He scored once more in the 2006–07 season, away to Tottenham Hotspur on the last day of the season, as 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. He was released in July 2008 [cite news
title = Club confirms released players list
publisher = Manchester City FC
date = 2008-07-03
url = http://www.mcfc.co.uk/default.sps?pagegid={DBD12D53-8346-431D-A04F-5D0F8664DE80}&newsid=6613129
accessdate = 2008-07-03 ] , but signed for Coca-Cola Championship side Plymouth Argyle on September 2 2008. [cite news
title = Mpenza pens deal
publisher = Plymouth Argyle FC
date = 2008-09-02
url = http://www.pafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10364~1381674,00.html
accessdate = 2008-09-02 ] Emile went on to make his Argyle debut as a sub on 70 minutes in a 2-1 defeat to Norwich City on the 13 September

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.

References

External links

* [http://www.pafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10364~35426,00.html Player Profile] at pafc.co.uk
*soccerbase|id=13970|name=Émile Mpenza