| Emmanuel Longelo | |
| Fullname: | Emmanuel Longelo Mbule[1] |
| Birth Date: | 27 December 2000[2] |
| Birth Place: | Barking, England |
| Height: | 1.84m (06.04feet) |
| Position: | Left back, wing-back, left winger |
| Currentclub: | Cambridge United (on loan from Birmingham City) |
| Clubnumber: | 45 |
| Youthyears1: | –2020 |
| Youthclubs1: | West Ham United |
| Years1: | 2020–2023 |
| Clubs1: | West Ham United |
| Caps1: | 0 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2022–2023 |
| Clubs2: | → Birmingham City (loan) |
| Caps2: | 15 |
| Goals2: | 1 |
| Years3: | 2023– |
| Clubs3: | Birmingham City |
| Caps3: | 25 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2024– |
| Clubs4: | → Cambridge United (loan) |
| Caps4: | 8 |
| Goals4: | 1 |
| Club-Update: | 18:49, 30 November 2024 (UTC) |
Emmanuel Longelo Mbule (born 27 December 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left back for club Cambridge United, on loan from divisional rivals Birmingham City. Longelo began his career with West Ham United and played first-team football in the EFL Cup and the Europa League before joining Birmingham City, initially on loan, in 2022.
Longelo started playing Sunday league football as a nine-year old for Euro Dagenham. He joined West Ham United's under-10 side playing as a midfielder and scored five goals on his debut, against Chelsea. Due to his pace he was moved to play as a striker. Playing for West Ham's under-23 team, Longelo played as a left-back.[3] On 21 September 2020, Longelo made his debut for West Ham in a 5–1 EFL Cup win against Hull City.[4]
He joined Birmingham City on a season-long loan on 30 August 2022.[5] After recovering from injuries suffered earlier in the season,[6] he made his debut on 1 October, starting at left wing-back in a 1–1 draw away to Championship leaders Sheffield United.[7] In a 2–0 win over Queens Park Rangers on 28 October, he "received the ball on the left, twisted and turned past Ethan Laird and then found the bottom-right corner with a low curling finish"[8] to score his first senior goal, and later gave away a penalty which was saved by John Ruddy.[9]
Longelo signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Birmingham City on 31 January 2023. The fee, officially undisclosed, was reported by football.london as £400,000.[10] [11] He lost his place for a time, but came back into the team at the end of the season, which he finished with 23 league appearances.[12] [13] He began the 2023–24 season as a regular in the matchday squad,[14] and he and Cody Drameh had a run in the starting eleven when both full back, Ethan Laird and Lee Buchanan, were injured at the same time.[15] When Laird regained fitness, it was Longelo who lost the starting place,[16] and after Wayne Rooney was replaced as manager in January 2024, he did not play in the league again.[17]
Longelo was not given a squad number by Birmingham at the start of the 2024–25 League One season, and after a proposed move to Barnsley fell through,[18] he joined Birmingham's divisional rivals Cambridge United on 22 August 2024 on loan for the season.[19]
Longelo was born in Barking, London, and is of Congolese descent. His older brother, Rosaire, played alongside him at West Ham before joining Newcastle United.[20]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| West Ham United U23 | 2018–19 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 2019–20 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 2020–21 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||||
| 2021–22 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| Total | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||||||
| West Ham United | 2020–21 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2021–22 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Birmingham City | 2022–23 | Championship | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 1 | |||
| 2023–24 | Championship | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | |||
| 2024–25 | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 40 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 45 | 1 | ||||
| Cambridge United (loan) | 2024–25 | League One | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 11 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 48 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 69 | 3 | |||