Full name Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu Playing position 2009–2011 Boreham Wood Role Footballer Weight 63 kg | Place of birth Hendon, London Number 17 Name Pelly Mpanzu Height 1.75 m Date joined 2014 | |
Date of birth (1993-07-17) 17 July 1993 (age 22) Current team Luton Town F.C. (#17 / Midfielder) | ||
Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu (born 17 July 1993) is an English footballer who plays for 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.
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Club career
Born in London, Ruddock Mpanzu started in the youth team for Boreham Wood and made 13 first team appearances before moving to West Ham United in December 2011. He was a member of the West Ham team which won the Ciutat de Barcelona Trophy against Espanyol in September 2013 and made his first team debut on 29 October 2013 in the League Cup in a 2–0 away win against Burnley. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce said of his debut, "This was their big chance. Three players, all defenders, Pelly Ruddock, Dan Potts and Leo Chambers, can feel very proud of themselves, what they've done.
On 28 November 2013, Ruddock Mpanzu signed on loan for Conference Premier side Luton Town 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 games, all victories, before being recalled back to West Ham's squad on 30 December 2013 due to his parent club's injury crisis.
After impressing in his seven games for Luton, manager John Still revealed that he was looking to bring Ruddock Mpanzu back to Kenilworth Road. On 28 January 2014, Ruddock Mpanzu signed permanently for Luton 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 and his second, a "scorching half-volley", two months later in a 2–1 win at Dartford. He played 21 league games for the club over the 2013–14 season as Luton won the Conference Premier title and promotion to League Two. Ruddock 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.
Ruddock Mpanzu suffered numerous injuries, including a rare calcification of the hamstring muscle, over the course of the 2014–15 season and made 18 appearances, of which only 10 were in the starting eleven. He scored one goal during the campaign; an injury-time equaliser in a 1–1 draw with Bury.
Style of play
Ruddock Mpanzu has been described as a "powerful" box-to-box midfielder with "endless energy". Ruddock Mpanzu has stated that central midfield is his natural position, but that he is able to play as a centre-back.