Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu | ||
| Date of birth | 22 March 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Hendon, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Playing position | Defender / Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
|
Current team
|
Luton Town | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2011 | Boreham Wood | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011 | Boreham Wood | 13 | (0) |
| 2011–2014 | West Ham United | 0 | (0) |
| 2013 | → Luton Town (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2014– | Luton Town | 109 | (7) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:22, 28 October 2017 (UTC). |
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Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu (born 22 March 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League Two club Luton Town. He primarily plays as a central midfielder, but is also able to play as a defender. He bears the name "Mpanzu" on the back of his shirt.
Born in Hendon, Greater London, Mpanzu began his career with the youth system at Boreham Wood and made 13 first-team appearances.
Mpanzu signed a two-and-a-half-year professional contract with Championship club West Ham United on 5 December 2011 after a successful trial. He was a member of the West Ham team which won the Ciutat de Barcelona Trophy against Espanyol in September 2013. Mpanzu made his first-team debut in a 2–0 win away to Burnley in the League Cup fourth round on 29 October 2013. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce said of his debut, "This was their big chance. Three players, all defenders, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Dan Potts and Leo Chambers, can feel very proud of themselves, what they've done."
On 28 November 2013, Mpanzu signed for Conference Premier club Luton Town on loan until 4 January 2014. He made his Luton debut in central defence two days later in a 0–0 draw with Staines Town in the FA Trophy, and was named man of the match in the replay, which Luton won 2–0, while playing in central midfield. He played in central midfield for five further matches, all victories, before being recalled back to West Ham's squad on 30 December due to his parent club's injury crisis. After impressing in his seven matches for Luton, manager John Still revealed that he was looking to bring Mpanzu back to Kenilworth Road. On 28 January 2014, Mpanzu signed for Luton permanently on a two-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee, in a transfer described as a "major coup". He scored his first goal for the club in a 7–0 win over Hereford United on 15 February 2014, before scoring his second two months later, a "scorching half-volley" in a 2–1 away win over Dartford. He finished 2013–14 with 24 appearances and two goals, as Luton won the Conference Premier title and promotion to League Two. Mpanzu said that his decision to leave West Ham and drop down the divisions had been "the right choice" as he had a winners' medal to justify it.
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