Gabriel Zakuani

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Gabriel Zakuani
Personal information
Full name	Gabriel Zakuani
Date of birth	31 May 1986 (1986-05-31) (age 23)
Place of birth	Kinshasa, Zaire
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Peterborough United
Number	5
Youth career
2000–2002	Leyton Orient
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2002–2006 2006–2009 2007 2007–2008 2008–2009 2009–	Leyton Orient Fulham → Stoke City (loan) → Stoke City (loan) → Peterborough United (loan) Peterborough United	87 (3) 00 (0) 09 (0) 19 (0) 14 (1) 18 (0)
National team2
2005	DR Congo	01 (0)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14:12, 8 April 2009 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 12:00, 20 October 2008 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Gabriel Zakuani (born 31 May 1986 in Kinshasa) is a Congolese professional footballer, currently playing for Peterborough United.

Contents 1 Club career 1.1 Leyton Orient 1.2 Fulham 1.3 Peterborough United 1.4 Loan moves 2 International career 3 Personal 4 Honours 4.1 Promotions 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Club career

[edit] Leyton Orient

Zakuani moved to London in 1992 where Leyton Orient spotted him playing in one of his school matches as a 14 year old. After two seasons in the Youth Team, the 16-year-old was given his first team debut in a match against Bury in March 2003.

In the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons he become a regular in Martin Ling's plans, making the central defence position his own at Orient. He scored three goals in almost 100 first team appearances for Orient.

In January 2006, Zakuani was part of the Leyton Orient side that overcame Fulham, 2–1, in the FA Cup third round. Zakuani and his team mates were eventually knocked out of the Cup by another Premier League outfit, Charlton Athletic.

[edit] Fulham

In July 2006, he was signed by Fulham for a fee of £1m, rising to £1.5m depending on appearances, on a four-year contract. The fee represented a club record for Leyton Orient.

[edit] Peterborough United

On 25 November 2008 it was confirmed that he would make his loan move at Peterborough United a permanent one when the transfer window re-opened on 1 January 2009. The fee was estimated to be under the record signing fee of £400,000 which Peterborough paid for Joe Lewis.^[1]

[edit] Loan moves

Zakuani signed for Stoke City on loan for the remainder of the 2006–07 season.^[2] Despite being a natural centre back, Zakuani also deputised as a right back during his loan spell.

On 31 August 2007, Zakuani again signed for Stoke on loan, this time for the rest of the 2007–08 season.^[3]

Zakuani returned to Fulham at the end of his loan and was then sent to Peterborough United on a three-month loan where he partnered Craig Morgan in the Posh back four.

[edit] International career

Zakuani made his international debut for the Democratic Republic of Congo in August 2005 against Guinea.

[edit] Personal

Away from football, in 2007, Zakuani appeared in Dizzee Rascal's music video for his single Flex. Gabriel is also a proud parent of Destiny Cecile Zakuani, his 2 year old daughter and is a proud father of a second child, born in March 09 with his girlfriend Carlene Leopard. He has 5 siblings, his sister Angela, aged 26, his brother Steve, aged 20, his younger brother Sosthene, aged 17, his sister Admira, aged 12 and the littlest of the Zakuani family, Claudia, aged 4. He also grew up with Serge Rashidi, now known as Serge Zakuani, his cousin who is now more like a brother to him.

Steve Zakuani is also a footballer who came through the Arsenal academy, before playing collegiate soccer with Akron University and in the USL Premier Development League with Cleveland Internationals. He currently plays for the Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer.

[edit] Honours

[edit] Promotions

• 2005–06: League Two 3rd (promotion to League One) - Leyton Orient

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Gabriel Zakuani career stats at Soccerbase
• Premier League player profile
• BBC report on Fulham transfer
• Zakuani in Dizzee Rascal Video. Appears 02:32

v • d • e Peterborough United F.C. – current squad 1 Lewis · 2 Martin · 3 Williams · 4 Morgan · 5 Zakuani · 6 Lee · 7 Coutts · 8 Frecklington · 9 McLean · 10 Boyd · 11 Keates · 12 Mackail-Smith · 13 McKeown · 14 Rowe · 15 Diagouraga · 17 Day · 18 Whelpdale · 19 Batt · 20 Wright · 21 Gaughran · 23 Crook · 24 Andrew · 25 Green · — Appiah · — Blackett · — Blanchett · — Charnock · — Howe · — Rendell · — Torres · — Webb · — Westwood · Manager: Ferguson