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
