Swedish footballer (born 2002)
Anthony David Junior Elanga (born 27 April 2002) is a
Swedish professional footballer who plays as a 🏧 forward or winger for Premier League
club Nottingham Forest and the Sweden national team.
Elanga joined the Manchester
United youth system 🏧 aged 12 and won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in
2024. He made his senior debut 🏧 for the club in a Premier League game against Leicester
City in May 2024. He represented Sweden at under-17, under-19 🏧 and under-21 levels,
before making his senior national team debut in 2024.
Biography [ edit ]
Elanga was
born in the Hyllie 🏧 ward of Malmö (now part of Väster), Sweden, when his father Joseph
Elanga was playing for Malmö FF. He is 🏧 fluent in three languages: Swedish, English and
French.[3][4]
Club career [ edit ]
Manchester United [ edit ]
Youth [ edit ]
After
playing 🏧 for IF Elfsborg and Malmö FF in Sweden,[5] Elanga's family moved to England and
settled in Manchester. Elanga briefly played 🏧 for local club Hattersley, and was scouted
by both Manchester City and Manchester United before joining United at the age 🏧 of
12.[6][7]
Elanga made his debut for the Manchester United under-18s at the age of 15 in
a 2–1 away defeat 🏧 to Liverpool in April 2024.[8] He signed as an academy scholar at
Manchester United in July 2024,[9] and scored four 🏧 goals in 22 appearances in his first
full season playing for the Under-18s.[10]
The following season, Elanga played twice
for the 🏧 Under-21s in the EFL Trophy, both as a substitute. He finished the
COVID-shortened season as the Under-18s' top scorer in 🏧 the league with seven goals in
nine appearances, and won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award.[11] He
🏧 played four times for the club's under-21 side in the 2024–21 EFL Trophy, scoring
twice.
2024–21 season [ edit ]
Elanga made 🏧 his first-team debut for United in a
pre-season friendly against Aston Villa ahead of the 2024–21 Premier League season; he
🏧 came on as a substitute for Marcus Rashford in the 75th minute of a 1–0 defeat. After
signing a new 🏧 long-term contract with the club in March 2024,[12] Elanga was called up
to the first team for the 2024–21 UEFA 🏧 Europa League quarter-final matches against
Granada in April 2024, but was an unused substitute in both legs, as well as 🏧 in the
second leg of the semi-final against Roma on 6 May. He made his competitive debut for
the club 🏧 on 11 May in a Premier League match against Leicester City.[3] Elanga was
replaced by Marcus Rashford in the 66th 🏧 minute as United lost 2–1.[13]
Elanga started
once again, away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day of the league season 🏧 and
scored his first senior Manchester United goal after just 13 minutes.[14]
2024–22
season [ edit ]
Elanga warming up for Manchester 🏧 United in 2024
Elanga scored his
second league goal for Manchester United on 19 January 2024 in a 3–1 away win 🏧 against
Brentford,[15] his first of the season.[16] On 4 February that year, Elanga missed his
team's last penalty in a 🏧 8–7 shootout against Middlesbrough during their FA Cup tie,
knocking Manchester United out of the Cup for the season.[17] On 🏧 20 February, in a game
against Leeds United, Elanga was hit on the head by an object thrown at him 🏧 by a
spectator. Minutes before the end of the game Elanga scored his second league goal of
the season.[18] On 🏧 23 February, Elanga scored his first UEFA Champions League goal
against Atlético Madrid in the Round of 16 first leg, 🏧 the final score was
1–1.[19]
Nottingham Forest [ edit ]
On 25 July 2024, it was announced that Elanga had
signed a 🏧 five-year deal with Nottingham Forest for a reported £15 million transfer
fee.[20][21][22] He scored his first goal in a 1–0 🏧 away win against Chelsea on 2
September.[23]
International career [ edit ]
Elanga was eligible to play for Sweden,
Cameroon or England 🏧 at international level.[24] He has represented Sweden at under-17,
under-19, under-21 and senior levels.[25]
Elanga played five times for the Sweden
🏧 under-17 team and scored two goals, both against France in the 2024 UEFA European
Under-17 Championship.[25] He played his first 🏧 game for the Sweden under-21 team and
scored one goal in a friendly against Finland on 3 June 2024.[26]
Elanga chose 🏧 to
represent Sweden at a senior level, citing being born and having spent the majority of
his life there, as 🏧 well as the country meaning a lot to him as the reasons behind his
decision.[27] He was named in the 🏧 international squad of Janne Andersson for the World
Cup qualifiers against the Czech Republic in March 2024, where he also 🏧 made his debut
as a late-game substitute.[28][29]
Elanga scored his first goal at senior international
level on 5 June 2024 in 🏧 a 1–2 loss against Norway in a 2024–23 UEFA Nations League B
game.[30]
Career statistics [ edit ]
Club [ edit ]
As 🏧 of match played 26 December
2024
International [ edit ]
As of match played 12 October 2024[36]
Appearances and
goals by national team 🏧 and year National team Year Apps Goals Sweden 2024 9 1 2024 4 2
Total 13 3
Scores and results list 🏧 Sweden's goal tally first, score column indicates
score after each Elanga goal.
Honours [ edit ]
Manchester United
Individual
