Hérita Ilunga facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nkongolo Hérita Ilunga | ||
| Date of birth | 25 February 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Kinshasa, Zaire | ||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||
| Playing position | Left-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2002 | Rennes | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2003 | Espanyol B | 19 | (1) |
| 2003–2007 | Saint-Étienne | 136 | (2) |
| 2007–2009 | Toulouse | 35 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | → West Ham United (loan) | 35 | (0) |
| 2009–2012 | West Ham United | 31 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | → Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2012 | Doncaster Rovers | 4 | (0) |
| 2013 | Rennes | 5 | (0) |
| 2014 | Carquefou | 10 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | Creteil | 64 | (0) |
| Total | 335 | (2) | |
| National team | |||
| 2004–2011 | DR Congo | 32 | (1) |
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Nkongolo Hérita Ilunga (born 25 February 1982) is a former professional footballer from Congo. He played as a left-back. During his career, he played for several clubs like Espanyol B, Saint-Étienne, Toulouse, and West Ham United. He also played for his country, DR Congo.
Contents
Hérita Ilunga's Football Journey
Starting His Career
Hérita Ilunga began his football training at age 13 with Amiens SC. He stayed there for four years before moving to Stade Rennais.
When he was 20, Ilunga moved to Spain. He joined Espanyol and played for their B team. Even though he played in the Spanish Third Division, his skills caught the eye of a coach from Saint-Étienne in France.
Ilunga then moved back to France, first on a loan, in 2003. He played for Saint-Étienne for four seasons. He appeared in 135 games and was even named the club's player of the season once.
Playing for Toulouse
In 2007, Ilunga joined Toulouse. This team had qualified for the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League, a very important competition. Ilunga played in a match against Liverpool during this time.
His first season with Toulouse was difficult. The team struggled in their league, but they managed to avoid being moved down to a lower division. The next season, a new coach meant Ilunga didn't play as much. Soon, a big English team, West Ham United, became interested in him.
Time at West Ham United
On 2 September 2008, Ilunga joined West Ham United in the Premier League on a loan. He quickly became the team's main left-back. Fans liked his playing so much that they voted him player of the month in October.
Ilunga scored his first goal for West Ham in an FA Cup game in January 2009. He scored again in another FA Cup match. In April 2009, West Ham signed him permanently for four years.
He played his first game as a permanent player in August 2009. Ilunga faced some injuries during his time at West Ham. He also had fewer chances to play under a new manager later on.
In January 2012, Ilunga and West Ham agreed to end his contract. He had played 73 games for the club and scored three goals.
Moving to Doncaster Rovers
In October 2011, Ilunga joined Doncaster Rovers on a three-month loan. He played his first game for them later that month.
In March 2012, he signed with Doncaster again for a short time. However, his team finished last in their league and was moved down. Ilunga left the club in June 2012.
Returning to Stade Rennais
After leaving Doncaster, Ilunga went back to France. In January 2013, he signed a six-month deal with Rennes. This was the same team where he started his youth career. He also reunited with his old coach, Frederic Antonetti.
Ilunga played his first game in Ligue 1 since 2008. However, he got a thigh injury in March 2013.
Later Years and Retirement
After leaving Rennes, Ilunga played for Carquefou for six months. Then, he spent two seasons playing for Creteil.
Hérita Ilunga retired from playing football in 2016. In September 2017, he was given a role on a special committee for training and development at the CAF.
International Football for DR Congo
Ilunga played for the DR Congo in the 2004 African Nations Cup. His team finished last in their group and did not move on.
He also helped DR Congo reach the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2006. They won against Togo and tied with Angola before being knocked out by the host country.
Ilunga scored his first goal for his country in a World Cup qualifying game in June 2008. However, DR Congo was eliminated from the competition.
International Goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1 June 2008 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo |  Egypt |
1–0 | 1–2 | 2010 World Cup qualifier |
Major Competition Appearances
| Year | Competition | Category | Appearances | Goals | Team Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Sub | |||||
| 2004–05 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | Senior | 5 | 0 | 0 | Did not Qualify |
| 2008 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | Senior | 4 | 0 | 0 | Did not Qualify |
See also
In Spanish: Hérita Ilunga para niños
