Gabriel Zakuani facts for kids
Zakuani playing for Peterborough United in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gabriel Abdala Zakuani | ||
| Date of birth | 31 May 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Kinshasa, Zaire | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2003 | Leyton Orient | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2006 | Leyton Orient | 87 | (3) |
| 2006–2009 | Fulham | 0 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Stoke City (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | → Stoke City (loan) | 19 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | → Peterborough United (loan) | 32 | (1) |
| 2009–2014 | Peterborough United | 148 | (4) |
| 2014 | Kalloni | 15 | (1) |
| 2014–2016 | Peterborough United | 46 | (4) |
| 2016–2017 | Northampton Town | 21 | (2) |
| 2017–2019 | Gillingham | 69 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Swindon Town | 6 | (0) |
| 2020 | Dagenham & Redbridge | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 483 | (15) | |
| International career | |||
| 2013–2017 | DR Congo | 29 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2020–2021 | Spalding United | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gabriel Abdala Zakuani (born on May 31, 1986) is a retired professional footballer from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He played as a defender. After his playing career, he became a broadcaster. He also works as an assistant manager for the DR Congo under-20 team.
Gabriel Zakuani started his football journey at Leyton Orient. He was a key player when they won promotion in the 2005–06 season. He also helped them beat Premier League team Fulham in the FA Cup. Fulham later signed him in August 2006.
He then spent time on loan at Stoke City. He helped Stoke get promoted to the Premier League. Later, he joined Peterborough United, first on loan, then permanently. With Peterborough, he achieved promotion in 2008–09. After being relegated, they quickly returned to a higher league by winning the 2011 League One play-off final.
Contents
Gabriel Zakuani's Club Journey
Starting at Leyton Orient
Gabriel Zakuani was born in Kinshasa but moved to London when he was young. Leyton Orient discovered him playing in a school match when he was 14. He joined their youth team.
After two seasons, he made his first-team debut in March 2003. He was only 16 years old. In the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons, he became a regular player. He played as a central defender and scored three goals in nearly 100 games for Orient.
In January 2006, Zakuani helped Leyton Orient beat Premier League team Fulham 2–1 in the FA Cup. His strong performance caught Fulham's eye. They signed him in July that year for a significant fee. This was a record amount for Leyton Orient.
Time at Fulham
Gabriel Zakuani played only two games for Fulham during his three years there. These games were in the League Cup and the FA Cup.
Loans to Stoke City
Zakuani joined Stoke City on loan for the rest of the 2006–07 season. Even though he was a central defender, he also played as a right-back sometimes. He made his first appearance for Stoke in February 2007. He played eight more games that season as Stoke almost reached the play-offs.
On August 31, 2007, Zakuani returned to Stoke on loan for the entire 2007–08 season. He played 19 games and helped Stoke get promoted to the Premier League. Zakuani hoped to join Stoke permanently, but it did not happen.
Playing for Peterborough United
Gabriel Zakuani then went to Peterborough United on a three-month loan. In November 2008, it was confirmed he would join them permanently. The move happened in January 2009.
On July 8, 2012, Zakuani was made captain of Peterborough United. In November 2012, he faced a club issue after a night out. He was briefly put on the transfer list and fined. Zakuani explained he does not drink or smoke and was at church the next day. He was later taken off the transfer list, and his fine was removed. Zakuani said this event changed his attitude. He promised to work harder in training.
At the end of the 2012–13 season, Peterborough United was relegated. Zakuani was again put on the transfer list. This was because he turned down a new contract due to his growing international football commitments.
Moving to Kalloni
On January 2, 2014, Zakuani signed a contract with Kalloni. This team plays in Superleague Greece, which is the top football league in Greece.
Returning to Peterborough United
On June 8, 2014, Zakuani came back to Peterborough. He signed a two-year contract. He said he missed the club and felt like he had "unfinished business" there. He wanted to help the club return to the Championship league.
Time at Northampton Town
Zakuani joined Northampton Town in June 2016. He scored his first goal for Northampton in October 2016. It was in a 4–2 win against Shrewsbury Town.
Playing for Gillingham
On June 7, 2017, Zakuani signed a one-year deal with League One team Gillingham. He had turned down a new contract offer from Northampton Town. He made his first full appearance for Gillingham in August 2017. He left the club in September 2019 after his contract ended. He had been out for seven months due to an injury.
Short Spell at Swindon Town
On October 4, 2019, Zakuani signed a short-term contract with Swindon Town. This happened because their captain was injured for a long time. He played his first game the next day. Zakuani left Swindon in January 2020 when his short-term deal finished.
Final Club: Dagenham & Redbridge
On January 13, 2020, Zakuani joined National League club Dagenham & Redbridge. He signed a six-month deal. He played one game for them before the season ended early due to Covid-19. He then retired from football in September 2020.
International Career
Gabriel Zakuani played for the DR Congo. He made his debut in 2013. He retired from international duty in September 2018. He had played 29 games for his country.
Coaching Career
In October 2020, Zakuani was named joint caretaker manager of Spalding United. He later became the permanent manager. In November 2021, he stepped down from this role. This was due to his increasing work in business and media.
Personal Life
Gabriel has a brother named Steve Zakuani. Steve is also a former professional footballer. He played for teams like Seattle Sounders FC and Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer. Steve retired due to injuries. In 2007, Gabriel Zakuani appeared in a music video for the song "Flex" by Dizzee Rascal.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Leyton Orient | 2002–03 | Third Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | Third Division | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2004–05 | League Two | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 0 | |
| 2005–06 | League Two | 43 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 1 | |
| Total | 87 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 98 | 3 | ||
| Fulham | 2006–07 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| Stoke City (loan) | 2006–07 | Championship | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| 2007–08 | Championship | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | ||
| Total | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||
| Peterborough United | 2008–09 | League One | 32 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 1 |
| 2009–10 | Championship | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | League One | 30 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 2 | |
| 2011–12 | Championship | 41 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 43 | 1 | ||
| 2012–13 | Championship | 33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 34 | 1 | ||
| 2013–14 | League One | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 | |
| Total | 180 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 202 | 6 | ||
| Kalloni | 2013–14 | Superleague Greece | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 1 | ||
| Peterborough United | 2014–15 | League One | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| 2015–16 | League One | 24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 | |
| Total | 46 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 4 | ||
| Northampton Town | 2016–17 | League One | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 |
| Gillingham | 2017–18 | League One | 40 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| 2018–19 | League One | 29 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| Total | 69 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 0 | ||
| Swindon Town | 2019–20 | League Two | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Dagenham & Redbridge | 2019–20 | National League | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 453 | 15 | 31 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 507 | 16 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR Congo | 2013 | 5 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 29 | 0 | |
Honours and Achievements
Gabriel Zakuani achieved several successes during his career:
Leyton Orient
- Football League Two third-place promotion: 2005–06 (This means they finished third and were promoted to a higher league.)
Stoke City
- Football League Championship second-place promotion: 2007–08 (They finished second and were promoted to the Premier League.)
Peterborough United
- Football League One second-place promotion: 2008–09 (They finished second and were promoted.)
- Football League One play-offs: 2011 (They won the play-off final to get promoted.)
See also
In Spanish: Gabriel Zakuani para niños
