Full name Kazenga LuaLua 2005–2007 Newcastle United Weight 76 kg Place of birth Kinshasa, Zaire Name Kazenga LuaLua Career start 2007 | Playing position Role Footballer Siblings Lomana LuaLua Number 30 Height 1.8 m | |
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Date of birth (1990-12-10) 10 December 1990 (age 25) Current team Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. (#30 / Midfielder) Profiles | ||
Emmanuel Eboué, Hugo Rodallega ,Kazenga LuaLua, Danny Shittu
Kazenga LuaLua (born 10 December 1990) is a Congolese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Queens Park Rangers on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion. He previously played for Newcastle United, Doncaster Rovers and Queens Park Rangers.
Contents
- Emmanuel Ebou Hugo Rodallega Kazenga LuaLua Danny Shittu
- Newcastle United
- Brighton Hove Albion
- Queens Park Rangers loan
- Club
- Personal life
- References
Newcastle United
Born in Kinshasa, LuaLua moved to England shortly after his birth. He moved to Newcastle as a youngster, as his older brother Lomana LuaLua was signed by Newcastle United. Kazenga progressed in Newcastle's youth academy, and played for the reserve team. He was called up to the senior squad for the first time for the FA Cup third round game against Birmingham City on 6 January 2007. At just 16 years and 27 days old, LuaLua would have been the youngest player to play for Newcastle: the record is currently held by Steve Watson.
He was part of the Newcastle youth team that reached the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup in the 2005–06 season. LuaLua finally made his first-team debut on 6 January 2008, coming on in the 74th minute of an FA Cup third round game against Stoke City as a substitute for Damien Duff.
LuaLua made his Premier League debut on 19 January 2008, coming on as a substitute again for Duff at St. James's Park in a match against Bolton Wanderers and went on to make several appearances for the first team later that season, before joining Doncaster Rovers of the Championship on loan. On 9 February 2010, LuaLua joined League One side Brighton & Hove Albion on loan, initially for one month. LuaLua was recommended to Brighton manager Gus Poyet by Dennis Wise. LuaLua rejoined Brighton on loan for four months on 30 August 2010. He then made his debut back at Brighton on 11 September 2010 and made it one to remember scoring a rocket 25-yard free kick in style and celebrating with his famous double backflip. He won the Football League Young Player of the Month in October 2010 On 13 November LuaLua broke his leg playing against Hartlepool United in a League One game. LuaLua shortly returned to Newcastle to make his recovery, and expressed his hope that he may play again in the 2010–11 season. Gus Poyet stated that LuaLua played a key part in Brighton's promotion to the Championship.
LuaLua remained at Newcastle for treatment and made his first Premier League appearance of the season in a 2–2 draw with Chelsea on the penultimate week of the season. It was LuaLua's dangerous run and cut inside around Branislav Ivanović which won Newcastle the corner leading to their late equaliser.
Brighton & Hove Albion
LuaLua rejoined Brighton on a six-month loan with a view to a permanent deal on 16 July 2011. He signed a permanent deal with Brighton for an undisclosed fee on 21 November 2011. LuaLua scored his first goal as a permanent Brighton player on 14 February 2012, a long-range free kick that tied a home match against Millwall 2–2. LuaLua's goal came two minutes before the end and salvaged a point for Brighton. The next Sunday, LuaLua scored a free-kick into the Kop End at Anfield in the FA Cup, against Liverpool as Brighton lost 6–1. With competition from fellow wingers Craig Noone, Will Buckley and Vicente, LuaLua swapped between starting and coming off the bench as an impact substitute in the following weeks.
On 7 August 2015, LuaLua scored the opening goal of the 2015-16 Football League Championship, which eventually was the winning goal against Nottingham Forest.
Queens Park Rangers (loan)
On 10 January 2017, LuaLua joined Queens Park Rangers on loan until the end of the 2016/2017 season. After scoring 1 goal in 11 games, a backheel against Preston North End, LuaLua returned to Brighton.
However Kazenga re-joined QPR on a loan deal until January 2018 on 11 August 2017.
Club
As of match played 8 May 2017Personal life
He is the younger brother of DR Congo international striker Lomana LuaLua. He is also the cousin of striker Trésor Kandol and Everton midfielder Yannick Bolasie, and also the brother-in-law of Reading striker Yann Kermorgant.