Anthony Limbombe

Anthony Limbombe Ekango (born 15 July 1994) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for FC Nantes and the Belgium national side. He can also play as a forward.[1]

Tony Limbombe
Personal information
Full name Anthony Limbombe Ekango
Date of birth (1994-07-15) 15 July 1994
Place of birth Mechelen, Belgium
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Winger, forward
Club information
Current team
 Nantes
Number 17
Youth career
2000–2005 Mechelen
2005–2010 Racing Genk
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2014 Racing Genk 51 (2)
2014 → Lierse (loan) 6 (2)
2014–2016 N.E.C. 65 (21)
2016–2018 Club Brugge 42 (6)
2018– Nantes 33 (2)
2019 → Standard Liège (loan) 6 (1)
National team‡
2009–2010 Belgium U16 11 (4)
2010 Belgium U17 8 (0)
2012–2013 Belgium U19 6 (2)
2018– Belgium 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:17, 30 July 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 31 March 2018

Club career

Racing Genk

Born in Mechelen, Limbombe began his youth career with Mechelen in 2000. In 2005, he joined Belgian Pro League side Racing Genk. He made his first team debut at the age of 16 in a 3–1 victory at Lokeren on 18 September 2010.[2] He also played for Genk in the Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. During his career with Racing Genk he won the Belgian Pro League in 2010–11 season, and he also won the Belgian Super Cup in 2011, in total he scored 2 goals in 62 League appearances.

For the second half of the 2013–14 season, Limbombe was sent on loan to Lierse SK where he scored 2 goals in 7 games.

NEC Nijmegen

On 30 August 2014, he signed with Eerste Divisie side N.E.C on a three-year deal with the option of a fourth year. He impressed in his first season at the club, scoring 14 goals and providing numerous assists in his debut season at the club, helping N.E.C. win the Eerste Divisie as champions and gain promotion to Eredivisie.

On 12 August 2015, Limbombe played for N.E.C. against Excelsior in the opening day of the 2015–16 Eredivisie season in a 1–0 victory.[3] A day later, NEC rejected a £1.5 million bid from English side Leeds United for Limbombe.[4] On 22 August, the club announced that Limbombe had been left out of the squad against Ajax due to deeming him 'insufficiently focused' after the interest linking him with Leeds United.[5] However, on 1 September, Leeds ended their interest in Limbombe after failing to up the bid, signing winger Jordan Botaka from Dutch Club Excelsior instead.[6]

After impressing during the 2015–16 season, scoring 7 goals and gaining 7 assists in the Eredivisie, on 1 June 2016, Limbombe amid further interest again from English side Leeds United, handed in a transfer request at NEC.[7] However, Leeds were again unable to agree on a fee with N.E.C for the player.[8]

Club Brugge

On 23 July 2016, Limbombe returned to Belgium to join Club Brugge on a four-year deal for a fee around the margin of £2 million.[9]

Nantes

On 23 August 2018, Limbombe joined French side FC Nantes on a five-year deal for a fee around the margin of €7 million.[10]

Standard Liège

On 26 June 2019, Limbombe joined Belgian side Standard Liège on a one-year loan. His new club secured an option to sign him permanently.[11] After scoring in his first match for the club, he suffered a knee injury in October.[12] In December 2019, it was announced that Limbombe's loan at Standard Liège would be cut short and that he would return to Nantes in January.[12]

International career

Limbombe was born in Belgium to Congolese parents, and is eligible to represent either nation.[13] He represented Belgium at U16 international level and has played at Belgium U17 level. In 2012, he was capped for Belgium U19's.

He was named in the Roberto Martinez Belgian squad for the friendly against Saudi Arabia in Brussels on 27 March.[14] He made his debut in a 4–0 win against Saudi Arabia, as he was subbed in at half-time.[15]

Personal life

Anthony is the younger brother of the footballer Bryan and Stallone Limbombe.[16]

Career statistics
As of match played 3 June 2019.[17]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Racing Genk 2010–11 Belgian Pro League 11020—003[lower-alpha 1]0160
2011–12 Belgian Pro League 17121—4[lower-alpha 2]07[lower-alpha 1]0302
2012–13 Belgian Pro League 8141—3[lower-alpha 3]01[lower-alpha 1]0162
2013–14 Belgian Pro League 15030—5[lower-alpha 3]11[lower-alpha 4]0241
Total 51211200121120865
Lierse (loan) 2013–14 Belgian Pro League 6200——1[lower-alpha 5]072
N.E.C. 2014–15 Eerste Divisie 331432———3616
2015–16 Eredivisie 32720———347
Total 6521520000007023
Club Brugge 2016–17 Belgian First Division A 15021—408[lower-alpha 1]0291
2017–18 Belgian First Division A 27650—205[lower-alpha 1]0396
Total 426710060130687
Nantes 2018–19 Ligue 1 2914200——333
2019–20 Ligue 1 411000——51
Total 33252000000384
Standard Liège 2019–20 Belgian First Division A 6100—100071
Career total 203342870019126027642
  1. Appearance(s) in Belgian Pro League Championship playoff
  2. Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  3. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  4. Appearance(s) in Belgian Super Cup
  5. Appearance(s) in Belgian Pro League Europa League playoff

Honours

Racing Genk

NEC

Individual

References
  1. "Anthony Limbombe". NEC Nijmegen. Archived from the original on 22 November 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  2. "Genk 3–1 Lokeren". Soccerway.com. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  3. "NEC 1–0 Excelsior". Sky Sports. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  4. "Leeds United consider next move after £1.5m bid for Belgian winger rejected". Leeds United Official site. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  5. "Limbombe buiten selectie bij N.E.C. – Ajax". NEC Nijmegen Official site. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  6. "Leeds United: Botaka delight at joining Whites". Yorkshire Evening Post. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  7. "Leeds £1m target hands in transfer request: Agent reveals 'interest from England'". Sunday Express. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  8. "Leeds United target Limbombe set to join Brugge". Yorkshire Evening Post. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  9. "Limbombe heading to Club Brugge". Football Oranje. 23 July 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  10. "Transferts : Anthony Limbombé signe au FC Nantes (officiel)". L'Équipe. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  11. "Anthony Limbombe speelt volgend seizoen in het shirt van Standard". sporza (in Dutch). 26 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  12. "Anthony Limbombe revient officiellement à Nantes". L'Équipe (in French). 20 December 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 March 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. https://www.aol.co.uk/sport/2018/03/16/limbombe-gets-first-belgium-call-nainggolan-back-in-the-squad
  15. http://static.belgianfootball.be/project/publiek/rencinter/en/wed_9912.htm
  16. lvdw. "Antwerp-manager Bico geeft speler draai om de oren".
  17. "Anthony Limbombe » Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  18. "And yet a prize for a Club player: Ebony Shoe goes to Anthony Limbombe". First Order Historians. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
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