Kurt Zouma

Kurt Zouma

Zouma playing for Chelsea in 2015
Personal information
Full name Kurt Happy Zouma[1]
Date of birth (1994-10-27) 27 October 1994
Place of birth Lyon, France
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Playing position Centre-back
Club information
Current team
 Chelsea
Number 5
Youth career
2003–2009 Vaulx-en-Velin
2009–2011 Saint-Étienne
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2014 Saint-Étienne 52 (4)
2014– Chelsea 38 (1)
2014 → Saint-Étienne (loan) 12 (0)
National team‡
2010 France U16 6 (0)
2010–2011 France U17 17 (1)
2012 France U19 1 (0)
2013 France U20 9 (0)
2013– France U21 7 (1)
2015– France 2 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 February 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2015

Kurt Happy Zouma (born 27 October 1994) is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for English club Chelsea.

He began his career at Saint-Étienne, making his professional debut aged 16. Zouma won the Coupe de la Ligue with the club in 2013, and joined Chelsea for £12 million in January 2014. Chelsea loaned him back to his first club for the remainder of the season, and in his first full campaign in England, Zouma helped Chelsea win the League Cup and the Premier League.

Zouma has represented France at youth levels, up to under-21. He made his senior international debut against Denmark on 29 March 2015.

Club career

Early career

Born in Lyon, Zouma began his career at age nine with Vaulx-en-Velin until he was 15. He played as a right winger and also then as a striker before switching to his current position of a defender.[3]

Saint-Étienne

Zouma joined Saint-Étienne in 2009. On 2 April 2011, he signed his first professional contract, agreeing to a three-year deal.[4] He was subsequently promoted to the senior team by manager Christophe Galtier ahead of the 2011–12 season, and initially played without a name on his shirt in order to protect him from media attention.[5]

Zouma made his professional debut at 16 years old, on 31 August 2011 in a Coupe de la Ligue match against Bordeaux, playing the entire match in a 3–1 win.[6] On 17 September, he made his Ligue 1 debut in a 3–0 loss at Lorient; his first professional goal came on 19 November, replacing Paulão after nine minutes and finishing a corner kick to confirm a 2–0 win before half time at OGC Nice.[7] He totalled 21 league games in his first season – 13 starts – and his other goal came on 14 January 2012, heading Banel Nicolita's corner for the only goal against lowly Sochaux at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.[8]

On 20 April 2013, Zouma played in Saint-Étienne's 1–0 win over Rennes in the final of the Coupe de la Ligue.[9] Eight days later in the Derby du Rhone away to Lyon, he opened a 1–1 draw by heading Yohan Mollo's corner after half an hour of play.[10]

On 7 November 2013, Zouma was banned for ten games following a challenge that left Sochaux's Thomas Guerbert with a broken right leg and a dislocated ankle.[11]

Chelsea

2014–15 season

On 31 January 2014, Zouma joined Chelsea on a five-and-a-half-year contract for a fee believed to be around £12 million (€14.6 million).[12] He remained at Saint-Étienne on loan for the remainder of the 2013–14 season.[12]

Zouma holding a banner celebrating Chelsea reaching the 2015 Football League Cup Final

Zouma first appeared as a first-half substitute for Chelsea in a pre-season friendly against Wycombe Wanderers. He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 friendly win against Slovene club Olimpija, on 27 July 2014.[13] He was given the number 5 shirt, previously worn by Michael Essien.[14]

On 24 September, Zouma made his first competitive appearance for Chelsea, scoring the opener in a 2–1 win against Bolton Wanderers in the third round of the League Cup.[15] He made his second Chelsea start and first UEFA Champions League appearance on 21 October against Maribor, helping his side keep a clean sheet in a 6−0 win.[16] He made his Premier League debut as an added-time substitute for Willian in the 1–1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford on 26 October 2014.[17]

On 4 January 2015, Zouma scored the third goal for Chelsea in the 3–0 victory over Watford in the FA Cup.[18] Six days later, he started in the Premier League for the first time, partnering John Terry in place of Gary Cahill and keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 home win over Newcastle United, which put Chelsea back into first place in the league table.[19]

With Nemanja Matić suspended and John Obi Mikel injured, Zouma played in defensive midfield as Chelsea won the League Cup Final on 1 March after a 2–0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.[20] On 3 May, he featured as a substitute for the final five minutes in place of Willian as Chelsea defeated Crystal Palace 1–0 to win the league title.[21]

2015–16 season

On 2 August 2015, Zouma was a 69th-minute substitute for César Azpilicueta as Chelsea lost 1–0 to rivals Arsenal in the Community Shield.[22] Starting ahead of John Terry, he scored his first Premier League goal on 19 September, heading in Cesc Fàbregas' cross to open a 2–0 home win over the same opposition.[23] On 24 November, as a late substitute for the injured Terry, he scored his first European goal to conclude a 4–0 win at Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champions League group stage.[24]

Under interim manager Guus Hiddink, Zouma regularly started alongside Terry as Chelsea's form improved. On 7 February 2016, Zouma ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee after landing awkwardly from a jump in a match against Manchester United. He required surgery and was ruled out for six months.[25]

2016–17 season

In the summer of 2016, Zouma traveled and trained with the first-team during preseason.[26] Chelsea also rejected loan offer from Schalke 04.[27]

On 24 October 2016, Zouma made his first competitive appearance after being out of action for nine months, playing 45 minutes for the Chelsea u23 side in a 2–2 draw against Derby u23.[28]

International career

Zouma is a France youth international having represented his nation at under-16 and under-17 level. He played with the under-17 team at the 2011 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship and 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Zouma has been the captain for the French under-21 side.[29]

He was part of the under-20 team that won the 2013 World Cup in Turkey. In the quarter-finals against Uzbekistan in Rize, he headed the last goal of a 4–0 victory.[30]

Senior France manager Didier Deschamps wanted to build a defence around Zouma and fellow youngster Raphaël Varane,[5] and on 19 March 2015, he was called him up for the first time for friendlies against Brazil and Denmark.[31] He made his debut in the latter match ten days later, a 2–0 win at his former club ground with Saint-Étienne, the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, replacing Morgan Schneiderlin for the last eight minutes of the game.[32]

After his injury for Chelsea in February, Zouma missed France's hosting of UEFA Euro 2016.[25]

Playing style

Zouma with Saint-Étienne in 2011

A November 2013 report by FourFourTwo noted Zouma's strength, reading of the game, and aerial presence, while mentioning his occasional lapses in concentration.[5]

In January 2014, Zouma was named by British newspaper The Observer as one of the ten most promising young players in Europe. The newspaper wrote, "Blessed with exceptional power and technique, Zouma is also coveted by many for his leadership qualities."[33]

Match of the Day pundit, Danny Murphy linked Zouma to Marcel Desailly, another Frenchman who played in defence for Chelsea. Writing after a draw with Manchester City, Murphy noted Zouma's reliability and confidence against the strong opponent, in addition to his pace. He predicted that Zouma could be a Chelsea mainstay for years to come, and would be an ideal replacement for captain John Terry, then aged 34.[34]

Personal life

Zouma's parents emigrated to France from the Central African Republic.[35] His older brother Lionel plays in the same position for Sochaux.[36]

Zouma is named after Kurt Sloane, Jean-Claude Van Damme's character in the 1989 film Kickboxer, while his middle name Happy reflects an African tradition of using positive words as middle names.[37]

Zouma is married to Sandra, with whom he has two children.[38][39]

Career statistics

As of match played 9 November 2016[40][41]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Saint-Étienne 2011–12 Ligue 1 2121010——232
2012–13 1824010——232
2013–14 24000003[lower-alpha 1]0—270
Total 634502030—734
Chelsea 2014–15 Premier League 15021514[lower-alpha 2]0—262
2015–16 2311010611[lower-alpha 3]0322
2016–17 000000–1[lower-alpha 4]010
Total 381316110210594
Career total 10158181132101228
  1. ↑ All appearances in Europa League
  2. ↑ All appearances in UEFA Champions League
  3. ↑ Appearance in FA Community Shield
  4. ↑ Appearance in EFL Trophy

Honours

Club

Saint-Étienne

Chelsea

International

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Premier League Clubs submit Squad Lists" (PDF). Premier League. 4 February 2014. p. 9. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  2. ↑ "Barclays Premier League Player Profile". web page. Premier League. 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "Teenage kicks: Kurt Zouma". Chelseafc.com. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "Kurt Zouma signe pro à Saint-Etienne". Foot Transferts (in French). 2 April 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 Simon, Tim (13 November 2013). "Everything you need to know about... Kurt Zouma". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "Saint-Étienne v. Bordeaux Match Report". Ligue de Football Professionnel (in French). 31 August 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  7. ↑ "NICE 0-2 SAINT-ETIENNE" (in French). OGC Nice. 19 November 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "St. Etienne edges troubled Sochaux". Fox Sports. 14 January 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  9. ↑ "AS Saint-Etienne 1-0 Stade Rennais FC". Ligue 1.
  10. ↑ "Lyon on course for third". Sky Sports. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  11. ↑ Devine, Chris (7 November 2013). "Zouma given 10-match ban following horror tackle". Goal.com. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  12. 1 2 "Transfer Deadline Day: Kurt Zouma joins Chelsea for £12m". BBC Sport. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  13. ↑ "Match report: NK Olimpija Ljubljana 1 Chelsea 2". Chelsea.com. 27 July 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  14. ↑ "Squad number changes". Chelsea F.C. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  15. ↑ "Chelsea 2-1 Bolton". BBC Sport. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  16. ↑ "Didier Drogba scored his first goal since rejoining Chelsea as they recorded their biggest-ever Champions League win with a dominant victory against Maribor at Stamford Bridge.". BBC Sport. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. 26 October 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "Chelsea 3-0 Watford". BBC Sport. 4 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  19. ↑ Reddy, Luke (10 January 2015). "Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  20. ↑ McNulty, Phil (1 March 2015). "Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  21. ↑ McNulty, Phil (3 May 2015). "Chelsea 1-0 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  22. ↑ Cryer, Andy (2 August 2015). "Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  23. ↑ McNulty, Phil (19 September 2015). "Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal". Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  24. ↑ Rose, Gary (24 November 2015). "M'bi Tel Aviv 0-4 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  25. 1 2 "Kurt Zouma: Chelsea defender out for six months & needs surgery". BBC Sport. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  26. ↑ "Zouma: Coming back stronger". Chelsea F.C. 20 July 2016.
  27. ↑ "Chelsea in talks with Schalke over transfer of young defender". 28 August 2016.
  28. ↑ "PL2 report: Chelsea 2 Derby 2". Chelsea F.C. 24 October 2016.
  29. ↑ "Zouma strike makes it a perfect six for France". UEFA. 4 March 2014.
  30. ↑ "Uzbeks no match for in-form France". FIFA. 6 July 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  31. ↑ Holyman, Ian (19 March 2015). "Nabil Fekir and Kurt Zouma named in France squad for friendlies". ESPN. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  32. ↑ "France 2-0 Denmark: Lacazette and Giroud on target". Goal.com. 29 March 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  33. ↑ "The next 10 big things: Europe's top youngsters and stars of the future". The Observer. 18 January 2014.
  34. ↑ Murphy, Danny (1 February 2015). "Chelsea 1-1 Man City: 'Kurt Zouma reminds me of Marcel Desailly'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  35. ↑ "France: Kurt Zouma parle de la paix en Centrafrique" [France: Kurt Zouma speaks of peace in the Central African Republic]. Journal de Bangui (in French). 8 October 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  36. ↑ "Les retrouvailles des " jumeaux " Zouma" [The reunion of the Zouma "twins"]. Le Parisien (in French). 23 March 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  37. ↑ de Menezes, Jack (25 September 2014). "Chelsea vs Aston Villa: Kurt Zouma reveals he is named after Jean-Claude Van Damme...and why he has reason to smile all the time". The Independent. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  38. ↑ "Photo: Chelsea star relaxes with his kids at Stamford Bridge". The Sports Review. 20 December 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  39. ↑ Liam Twomey (26 January 2016). "Chelsea star Kurt Zouma takes his family to Disneyland Paris". ESPN Soccer. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  40. ↑ "K. ZOUMA". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  41. ↑ "Kurt Zouma Premier League Player Profile". Premier League official website. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
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