Joe Mbu (footballer)

Joe Mbu
Personal information
Date of birth (1982-02-14) 14 February 1982
Place of birth Cameroon
Playing position Defender
Youth career
Hibernian
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2008 Whitburn Junior
2008–2013 Cowdenbeath 104 (3)
2013 → Stenhousemuir (loan) 3 (0)
2013–2014 East Fife 25 (0)
2014–2017 Edinburgh City 30 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:06, 1 June 2017 (UTC)

Joe Mbu (born 14 February 1982) is a Cameroonian retired semi-professional footballer who played as a defender. During his career, which started as a youth player at Hibernian, he played for Whitburn Junior, Cowdenbeath, Stenhousemuir on loan, East Fife and finally, Edinburgh City.

Early and personal life

Born in Cameroon, Mbu moved to London at the age of one, and then to Scotland six years later.[1] As well as playing football, Mbu has also worked as a banker.[2]

Career

Mbu spent six years playing football at youth level at Hibernian before being released by the club due to being deemed "too small".[3][4] He then joined Whitburn Junior who play in the East Region of Scottish junior football and was voted their Player of the Year twice.[4][5] During his time there he played for the Scottish junior national team several times and won the Quandrangular Tournament with Scotland.[4][5]

Mbu was ready to join Arthurlie,[4] but instead joined Cowdenbeath on a one-year deal in 2008.[4][5] He enjoyed successive promotions with the club in 2008–09 and 2009–10 to the reach Scottish First Division,[4] but was regularly injured as the team were relegated in their first season as a First Division club.[4] Mbu won the Scottish Second Division in 2011–12 with the club and was voted in Team of the Year.[6][7]

He signed on loan for Stenhousemuir in March 2013.[8] He signed for East Fife on 1 July 2013.[9] In July 2014, Mbu signed for Edinburgh City of the Scottish Lowland League.[10] Mbu won the Lowland League title twice with City in 2014–15 and 2015–16. He also helped City become the first non-league team to earn promotion to Scottish League Two of the SPFL in 2015–16 via the new pyramid system.[11][12]

Mbu played in City's first ever SPFL league match on 6 August 2016 against Forfar Athletic, in which he was sent-off in the 93rd minute for an altercation with Forfar forward David Cox.[13][14] Mbu announced his retirement from football at the end of the 2016–17 season due to injury,[15] with his final appearance for Edinburgh City coming in a 3–2 defeat against Berwick Rangers on 6 May 2017.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Joe's dreaming of a Cameroon cap". Daily Record. 3 February 2006.
  2. ↑ "Joe out to bank big win". Daily Record. 22 April 2009.
  3. ↑ http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/edinburgh-city/edinburgh-city-s-joe-mbu-was-freed-by-hibs-for-being-too-small-1-4153332
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Mbu has grown into his role in Cowdenbeath defence". SFL. 10 February 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 Eric MacKinnon (17 July 2008). "Mbu takes step up and signs a one year deal at Cowdenbeath". West Lothian Courier.
  6. ↑ "Steady Big Joe wins Times Trophy for a second time". Central Fife Times. 3 May 2012.
  7. ↑ "PFA SCOTLAND DIVISION TWO TEAM OF THE YEAR". PFA Scotland. 3 May 2012.
  8. ↑ "Stenhousemuir vs Brechin City - 2nd March 2013: Match Preview". SFL. 2 March 2013.
  9. ↑ "East Fife FC". East Fife F.C.
  10. ↑ "Lowland League: City boss Jardine rates Spartans favourites". Edinburgh Evening News. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "Edinburgh City's Joe Mbu mystified by 'ridiculous' red card". Edinburgh News. 9 May 2016.
  12. ↑ "East Stirlingshire 0:1 Edinburgh City". BBC. 14 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "Scottish League Two: Edinburgh City begin life in senior league with loss". BBC Sport. BBC. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  14. ↑ "Edinburgh City 2 – 3 Forfar Athletic". Scottish Professional Football League. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  15. ↑ http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/edinburgh-city/veteran-edinburgh-city-defender-joe-mbu-may-delay-retirement-1-4416349
  16. ↑ "Berwick Rangers 3 – 2 Edinburgh City". BBC Sport. BBC. 6 May 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.