Bryant Bilongo | |
Fullname: | Bryant Akono Bilongo[1] |
Birth Date: | 15 September 2001 |
Birth Place: | Wandsworth, England |
Position: | Defender |
Currentclub: | Bristol Rovers |
Clubnumber: | 27 |
Youthclubs1: | AFC Wimbledon |
Youthclubs2: | Hanworth Villa |
Years1: | 2020–2021 |
Clubs1: | Hanworth Villa |
Caps1: | 10 |
Goals1: | 0 |
Years2: | 2021–2022 |
Clubs2: | Kingstonian |
Caps2: | 20 |
Goals2: | 1 |
Years3: | 2022–2024 |
Clubs3: | Middlesbrough |
Caps3: | 0 |
Goals3: | 0 |
Years4: | 2022 |
Clubs4: | → Woking (loan) |
Caps4: | 1 |
Goals4: | 0 |
Years5: | 2024 |
Clubs5: | → Ebbsfleet United (loan) |
Caps5: | 12 |
Goals5: | 1 |
Years6: | 2024– |
Clubs6: | Bristol Rovers |
Caps6: | 1 |
Goals6: | 1 |
Club-Update: | 00:22, 11 August 2024 (UTC) |
Bryant Akono Bilongo (born 15 September 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for club Bristol Rovers.
Released by AFC Wimbledon at a young age,[2] Bilongo went on to join Hanworth Villa youth side[3] before eventually making the step up into the first-team during the 2020–21 campaign, in which he featured ten times.[4]
Following his breakthrough season, Bilongo joined Isthmian League Premier Division side, Kingstonian in June 2021.[2] Impressing early on, his form attracted the attention of both Football League and Premier League sides, including Chelsea who subsequently trialled the full-back in October 2021.[5] Despite this, Bilongo agreed to join Middlesbrough three months later for an undisclosed fee.[6] On 10 August 2022, he made his first-team debut for Middlesbrough, replacing Paddy McNair during an EFL Cup first round tie defeat against Barnsley, with half an hour remaining.[7] On 29 October 2022, he joined National League side, Woking on a one-month loan.[8] Bilongo went onto feature twice for the Cards before returning to Middlesbrough in November.
On 1 February 2024, Bilongo joined National League club Ebbsfleet United on loan until the end of the season.[9]
On 28 June 2024, Bilongo signed for League One side Bristol Rovers for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-year deal with the option for a further year.[10] He made his debut for the club on the opening day of the season, scoring a 92nd minute winner as Rovers defeated Northampton Town to claim a first opening day victory in thirteen years.[11] Following the match, he described it as the highlight of his career to date.[12]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Hanworth Villa | 2020–21 | Combined Counties League Premier Division | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
Kingstonian | 2021–22[13] | Isthmian League Premier Division | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 4[14] | 0 | 27 | 1 | ||
Middlesbrough | 2021–22 | Championship | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
2022–23 | Championship | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
2023–24 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
Woking (loan) | 2022–23 | National League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
Ebbsfleet United (loan) | 2023–24 | National League | 12 | 1 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |||
Bristol Rovers | 2024–25 | League One | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Career total | 44 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 53 | 3 |