Anthony David Junior Elanga (born 27 April 2002) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a winger for club Manchester United and the Sweden national under-21 team.
 Elanga playing for Manchester United in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Anthony David Junior Elanga[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 27 April 2002[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Malmö, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Manchester United | ||
| Number | 36 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| IF Elfsborg | |||
| 2014 | Malmö FF | ||
| 2014–2021 | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021– | Manchester United | 11 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018–2019 | Sweden U17 | 5 | (2) |
| 2019 | Sweden U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2021– | Sweden U21 | 8 | (7) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:12, 20 February 2022 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16:37, 23 November 2021 (UTC) | |||
Elanga joined the Manchester United youth system aged 12 and won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in 2020. He made his senior debut for the club in a Premier League game against Leicester City in May 2021. He has represented Sweden at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels.
Club career
Manchester United
Youth
Elanga joined the Manchester United academy at the age of 12,[3] having previously spent time at IF Elfsborg and Malmö FF in Sweden.[4] Elanga played twice in the 2019–20 EFL Trophy with Manchester United's under-21 side, both as a substitute. He played four times for the club's under-21 side in the 2020–21 EFL Trophy, scoring twice.
2020–21 season
He made his first-team debut for United in a pre-season friendly against Aston Villa ahead of the 2020–21 Premier League season; he came on as a substitute for Marcus Rashford in the 75th minute of a 1–0 defeat. Elanga was called up to the first team for the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League quarter-final matches against Granada in April 2021, but was an unused substitute in both legs. He made his competitive debut for the club on 11 May 2021 in a Premier League match against Leicester City.[5] Elanga was replaced by Marcus Rashford in the 66th minute as United lost 2–1.[6]
Elanga started once again, away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day of the league season and scored his first goal for Manchester United after just 13 minutes.[7]
2021–22 season
Elanga scored his second league goal for Manchester United on 19 January 2022 in a 3–1 away win against Brentford,[8] his first of the season.[9] 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.[10] In the aftermath of the game, Elanga was subjected to racially abusive messages on social media.[11] 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.[12]
International career
Elanga is eligible to play for Sweden, Cameroon or England at international level.[13] He has so far represented Sweden at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels.[14]
Elanga played five times for the Sweden under-17 team and scored two goals, both against France in the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.[14] He played his first game for the Sweden under-21 team and scored one goal in a friendly against Finland on 3 June 2021.[15]
Personal life
His father is the former Cameroon international footballer Joseph Elanga. He was born in the Hyllie ward of Malmö (now part of Väster) in Sweden, when his father was playing for Malmö FF.[5]
Career statistics
- As of match played 20 February 2022
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester United U21 | 2019–20[16] | — | — | — | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 2020–21[17] | — | — | — | — | — | 4[a] | 2 | 4 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 2 | ||
| Manchester United | 2020–21[17] | Premier League | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | |
| 2021–22[18] | Premier League | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | — | 13 | 2 | ||
| Total | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 21 | 5 | ||
- ^ a b Appearances in EFL Trophy
- ^ Appearance in UEFA Champions League
Honours
Manchester United
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2020–21[19]
Individual
References
- ^ "2021/22 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- ^ a b "Anthony Elanga: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- ^ ""Otroligt hög nivå – jag har inga ord för det"". aftonbladet.se. Aftonbladet. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ "Elanga efter landslagsdebuten". svenskfotboll.se. Svenska Fotbollförbundet (SvFF). 5 September 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ a b Wood, Liam (11 May 2021). "Who is Anthony Elanga? Manchester United youngster in profile as he makes debut vs Leicester City". Manchester Evening News.
- ^ Stone, Simon (11 May 2021). "Man City Premier League champions as Leicester City beat Manchester United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ Rose, Gary (23 May 2021). "Wolves 1-2 Manchester United: Nuno Espirito Santo beaten in final game". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ "Brentford v Man Utd, 2021/22". Premier League. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ McNulty, Phil (19 January 2022). "Brentford 1-3 Man Utd: Marcus Rashford gives visitors comfortable win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ Stone, Simon (4 February 2022). "Man Utd stunned by Middlesbrough after FA Cup shootout defeat". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ^ "Anthony Elanga: Manchester United player racially abused after penalty miss in FA Cup exit". BBC Sport. 5 February 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ^ Fältskär, Cesar (20 February 2022). "Anthony Elanga målskytt mot Leeds i Premier League". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ "Så påverkar Victor Nilsson Lindelöf talangens landslagsval" [This is how Victor Nilsson Lindelöf influences the talent's national team choice]. aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 5 June 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Anthony Elanga - Spelarstatistik". Svensk Fotboll (SvFF). Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ "United-talangens nya succé – slår till för Sverige".
- ^ "Games played by Anthony Elanga in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Games played by Anthony Elanga in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ "Games played by Anthony Elanga in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ Stone, Simon (26 May 2021). "Villarreal 1-1 Manchester United (11-10 on pens): David de Gea spot kick saved in epic Europa League final shootout". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ Marshall, Adam (17 September 2020). "Anthony Elanga wins Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. Retrieved 17 January 2022.