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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Steve Zakuani | ||
| Date of birth | February 9, 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Kinshasa, Zaire | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Playing position | Attacking Midfielder Second Striker, Striker |
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| Club information | |||
| Current club | Seattle Sounders FC | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2002 | Arsenal | ||
| 2007–2008 | Akron Zips | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2008 | Cleveland Internationals | 11 | (9) |
| 2009– | Seattle Sounders FC | 29 | (4) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2 November, 2009. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Steve Zakuani (born February 9, 1988 in Kinshasa) is a Congolese-English[1] soccer player who currently plays for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer.
Contents |
Career
Youth and College
Zakuani was born in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), but moved to London with his family as a small child. He played for the Arsenal youth team until the age of 14, took part in the Tilburg Tournament in Holland in 2002, and played at the Independent Football Academy from 2004 to 2007 before enrolling at the University of Akron in the United States.[2] As a sophomore, after leading the nation in scoring with 20 goals and 7 assists, Zakuani finished as runner-up for the Hermann Trophy, awarded to the nation's best collegiate soccer player.
In 2008, Zakuani also played for the Cleveland Internationals in the USL Premier Development League.[3]
Professional
Zakuani was selected by Seattle Sounders FC as the number one pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft on a Generation Adidas contract.[4], and turned down a larger contract offer from Preston North End to sign with Major League Soccer[5].
Zakuani made his MLS debut on 19 March 2009, in the 2009 season opener against New York Red Bulls, coming on as a 68th minute substitute for Sanna Nyassi.[6] He scored his first professional goal against Toronto FC on April 4, 2009.
International
Steve's older brother Gabriel Zakuani, who currently plays for Peterborough United in England's Championship division, is a member of Congolese national team. Steve also considers himself Congolese[7], and has made it known that he would also like to play for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the future.[8]
Playing Style
Steve Zakuani is said to be quick and agile. He also likes to take defenders on one-on-one.
Honors
Seattle Sounders FC
See also
References
- ^ http://web.mlsnet.com/pdf/mls/2009/superdraft/CombinePlayerBios.pdf
- ^ Jones, Grahame (2009-01-15). "Seattle makes Steve Zakuani first pick in MLS draft". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2009/01/seattle-makes-s.html. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
- ^ "Cleveland Internationals". USLSoccer.com. http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2008/roster/934451.html. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
- ^ "Zakuani Finishes Runner Up for M.A.C. Hermann Trophy". Akron Media Relations (GoZips.com). 2009-01-09. http://www.gozips.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10800&ATCLID=3643114. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
- ^ "Zakuani Chooses MLS over English Championship". MLS (MLSnet.com). 2009-01-15. http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20090115&content_id=212663&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
- ^ http://web.mlsnet.com/scoreboard/game.jsp?match=03192009_NYSEA
- ^ http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2009/01/16/mls-no-1-pick-steve-zakuani-chats-with-fanhouse/
- ^ http://sounderatheart.com/2009/01/steve-zakuani-6-days-a-sounder/
External links
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