Inside the incredible rise of Yankuba Minteh, from playing on sand in The Gambia to £30m Brighton star in two years

THE solely factor faster than Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh is his rise to the highest.

From enjoying on a sand pitch in The Gambia to changing into a £30m seaside star for the Seagulls in only two years, the 20 12 months outdated is a younger man in a rush.

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Tonny Hermansen is the skilled academy director at Danish aspect Odense Boldklub, who signed {the teenager} in the summertime of 2022.

Hermansen, who has labored with Christan Eriksen and different star names, stated: “From zero to 100 in two years on this approach – I’ve by no means seen something prefer it.

“However proper from the start, he stated, ‘I might be right here for just a bit whereas then I’ll go to the large leagues’. And he was proper.”

Minteh grew up a football-crazy Barcelona fan in Bakoteh, a village close to The Gambia’s largest metropolis, Serrekunda.

He is likely one of the seven kids of Buhari Minteh, a chef, and Mam Jassey, a vegetable vendor, who all lived collectively in a rented two-room home.

A life-changing second arrived when Bakary Bojang, a Gambian footballer who had settled in Odense after enjoying within the decrease leagues in Denmark, visited his outdated village throughout a vacation again house.

Bojang defined: “The soccer academy in Bakoteh is run by my former coach Abdou Touray.

“He was telling me, ‘We’ve got a child right here, he’s actually good – everybody calls him Messi’.

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“I don’t keep in mind the date that I watched Yankuba for the primary time, however I keep in mind the sensation.

“He was enjoying with older boys however the best way he was driving with the ball on a sandy pitch was wonderful.

“I knew the usual in Europe from my enjoying days.

“I instructed the coach: ‘This child is basically particular. I’ll do no matter I can do to assist him out of Gambia.’”

Bojang arrange an company and in summer time 2021, took Minteh and one other participant, Dawda Darboe, for a trial at Odense, one in every of his personal former golf equipment.

Nevertheless it was Darboe who made the higher impression.

Bojang stated: “The primary two coaching periods, he was actually good. Then he began slacking.

“The perspective and mindset weren’t 100 per cent. I had some actually robust fights with him.

“I stated: ‘You realize the struggles you’ve gotten needed to get right here. You realize your loved ones background.

“‘That is what you need and love. You’ve got it now and also you wish to give all of it away?

“I needed to push for Odense to ask Yankuba the second time with Dawda. I instructed them: ‘Dawda won’t come if Yankuba isn’t coming.’”

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This time it was Minteh who shone.

Bojang stated: “He had a second probability and didn’t wish to waste it. It’s a mentality that he nonetheless has now.”

However in a pleasant match for Odense’s under-19 aspect throughout his second trial, Minteh was despatched off after incomes two yellow playing cards for sturdy challenges.

Bojang stated: “He thought he had blown his probability.”

But Hermansen pushed for Minteh to play for Odense’s reserves a number of days later and the younger winger didn’t let him down, enjoying nicely sufficient to earn a contract to be signed when he turned 18 in July.

And that’s when issues actually accelerated.

Hermansen stated: “In his first recreation for the Beneath-19s, he scored simply earlier than half time.

“Minutes later the pinnacle coach of the primary workforce, Andreas Alm, got here and stated: ‘Tonny, you should take him off.’

“‘Why?’ ‘As a result of he’s within the first-team squad tomorrow.’”

Horrible begin

Minteh remained on the bench for that match however made his Tremendous Liga debut as a late substitute lower than two weeks later.

Hermansen stated: “His first three touches had been so dangerous. He was after all nervous – the stadium was full, FC Copenhagen was a giant workforce.

“Then one thing magic occurred. Our striker closed the ball down and the goalkeeper tried to hit it away.

“He kicked it out of the penalty space and there was Yankuba.

“He ran on to the ball and, I can keep in mind prefer it was yesterday, I stated to myself: ‘What’s going to occur now? The ball might go within the espresso store as a result of the primary three touches had been so dangerous.’

“He took a contact after which put it into the web. The stadium goes loopy amok and we win the sport 2-1.

“Due to this purpose, by 10 minutes after the sport, everybody in Denmark knew about Yankuba.”

Newcastle pressured to promote

Minteh progressed so nicely that Newcastle had been amongst these to strategy Odense a few January 2023 deal.

The membership resisted, wanting the winger to assist them keep away from relegation.

However in the summertime Newcastle beat off competitors from Brighton to signal the 18-year-old for £6m.

Minteh, unable to get a piece allow, was instantly loaned to Feyenoord the place he made the step up look simple.

He offered 11 objectives and 6 assists for the Dutch membership, however Newcastle reluctantly offered him to Brighton in June as they scrambled to fulfill Premier League monetary guidelines.

Minteh, who just lately married, has already been spectacular for the Seagulls however has promised there’s way more to come back.

Bojang stated: “I spoke to him a number of days in the past in regards to the Premier League and never to consider the excessive expectations from individuals in Gambia who need him to attain 10 objectives in each recreation.

“He stated to me, ‘Baks, you all the time fear an excessive amount of.’

“He instructed me: ‘You haven’t seen something from me but. As quickly as I get used to the tempo and physicality, you will note what I can do within the Premier League.’

“Nothing he does on the pitch surprises me anymore.

“All the things that’s occurring now he instructed me he would do, even earlier than he got here to Europe.”

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