1. Early Life and Background
Anthony Elanga's formative years were shaped by his family background and early exposure to football in both Sweden and England, which laid the foundation for his professional career.
1.1. Birth and Family
Anthony David Junior Elanga was born on 27 April 2002, in the Hyllie ward of Malmö, Sweden. His father is Joseph Elanga, a former professional footballer from Cameroon who played for Malmö FF at the time of Anthony's birth. Joseph Elanga also represented the Cameroon national team and participated in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
1.2. Childhood and Education
Elanga began his football journey in Sweden, playing for youth teams such as IF Elfsborg and Malmö FF. In 2014, his family relocated to England and settled in Manchester. There, Elanga briefly played for a local club called Hattersley. He was scouted by both Manchester City and Manchester United before ultimately joining Manchester United's academy at the age of 12. His talent was quickly recognized, and he was seen as a promising prospect, following in the footsteps of academy graduates like Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.
1.3. Languages
Elanga is multilingual, speaking his native Swedish, as well as English and French.
2. Club Career
Anthony Elanga's club career began in the youth ranks of Manchester United, where he rapidly progressed before making his senior debut and later securing a move to Nottingham Forest.
2.1. Manchester United
Elanga's time at Manchester United saw him develop through the youth system, earning significant recognition, and eventually contributing to the senior team.
2.1.1. Youth Career
Elanga debuted for the Manchester United under-18 team at the age of 15 in April 2018, in a 2-1 away defeat against Liverpool. In July 2018, he signed as an academy scholar with Manchester United. In his first full season with the Under-18s, he scored four goals in 22 appearances.
During the 2019-20 season, Elanga continued his impressive development. He played twice for the Under-21s in the EFL Trophy, both times as a substitute. Despite the season being shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, he finished as the Under-18s' top scorer in the league, netting seven goals in nine appearances. His outstanding performance earned him the prestigious Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award. He also played four times for the club's under-21 side in the 2020-21 EFL Trophy, scoring twice.
2.1.2. 2020-21 Season
Elanga made his first-team debut for United in a pre-season friendly against Aston Villa ahead of the 2020-21 Premier League season, coming on as a substitute for Marcus Rashford in the 75th minute of a 1-0 defeat. In March 2021, he signed a new long-term contract with the club. He was subsequently called up to the first team for the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League quarter-final matches against Granada in April 2021, and the second leg of the semi-final against Roma on 6 May, though he remained an unused substitute in all these games.
His competitive debut for the club came on 11 May 2021, in a Premier League match against Leicester City. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær made 10 changes to the squad due to a congested fixture schedule, having played Aston Villa just two days prior. Elanga was replaced by Marcus Rashford in the 66th minute as United lost 2-1. On the final day of the league season, 23 May 2021, Elanga started away against Wolverhampton Wanderers and scored his first senior Manchester United goal after just 13 minutes, contributing to a 2-1 victory. This start was facilitated by United's secure league position and Solskjær's decision to rest key players for the upcoming Europa League final.
2.1.3. 2021-22 Season
Elanga scored his second league goal for Manchester United on 19 January 2022, in a 3-1 away win against Brentford, marking his first goal of the season. He played the full 90 minutes in this match. On 4 February that year, Elanga missed his team's last penalty in an 8-7 shootout against Middlesbrough during their FA Cup tie, which resulted in Manchester United's elimination from the competition. Following this match, Elanga was subjected to racial abuse on social media.
On 20 February, during a game against Leeds United, Elanga was hit on the head by an object thrown by a spectator. Despite this incident, he scored his second league goal of the season minutes before the end of the game. Just three days later, on 23 February, Elanga scored his first UEFA Champions League goal against Atlético Madrid in the Round of 16 first leg, entering the match in the 75th minute and scoring the equalizer in the 80th minute, resulting in a 1-1 draw. On 24 December 2021, Elanga signed a new long-term contract with Manchester United, extending his stay until 2026.
2.1.4. 2022-23 Season
Elanga made his debut for the 2022-23 season on 7 August 2022, in a Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford, which Manchester United lost 1-2. On 22 August 2022, in a home match against Liverpool at Old Trafford, Elanga played for 45 minutes, providing one assist and contributing to United's 2-1 victory.
2.2. Nottingham Forest
On 25 July 2023, it was officially announced that Elanga had signed a five-year deal with Nottingham Forest. The transfer fee was reported to be around 15.00 M GBP (approximately 2.70 B JPY). He made his debut for Nottingham Forest on 12 August 2023, against Arsenal in the Premier League, where he provided one assist, though his team suffered a 2-1 defeat. Elanga scored his first goal for Nottingham Forest on 2 September 2023, in a Premier League match against Chelsea, netting the only goal in a 1-0 away victory at Stamford Bridge. On 1 February 2025, he provided a hat-trick of assists in a dominant 7-0 victory over Brighton.
3. International Career
Anthony Elanga has represented Sweden at various international levels, from youth teams to the senior national squad, demonstrating his commitment to his home country.
3.1. Youth Teams
Elanga was eligible to play for Sweden, Cameroon, or England at international level. He chose to represent Sweden, citing that he was born and had spent the majority of his life there, and that the country meant a great deal to him. He was also reportedly scouted by England national team manager Gareth Southgate, but Manchester United declined to release him for international matches in January.
He played five times for the Sweden under-17 team and scored two goals, both against France in the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. In that tournament, Sweden was placed in Group B alongside the Netherlands, France, and England, and despite losing all three matches, Elanga's performance against France was notable. He also represented the Sweden under-19 team in three matches. Elanga played his first game for the Sweden under-21 team on 3 June 2021, scoring one goal in a friendly match against Finland.
3.2. Senior Team
Elanga was named in the international squad of Janne Andersson for the World Cup qualifiers against the Czech Republic in March 2022. He made his senior national team debut in this match as a late-game substitute on 24 March 2022, coming on in the 115th minute for Emil Forsberg.
Elanga scored his first goal at senior international level on 5 June 2022, in a 1-2 loss against Norway in a 2022-23 UEFA Nations League B game. He scored his second international goal on 27 March 2023, in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match against Azerbaijan, contributing to a 5-0 victory. His third international goal came on 16 June 2023, in a friendly match against New Zealand, which Sweden won 4-1.
4. Personal Life
Beyond his professional football career, Anthony Elanga's personal life has been influenced by his family and has also seen him face challenges, including instances of racial abuse.
Elanga is 70 in (178 cm) tall and weighs 143 lb (65 kg). He is the son of Joseph Elanga, a former Cameroonian international footballer. His father's career, including playing for Malmö FF, meant Elanga was born in Malmö, Sweden. Following his professional debut for Manchester United, Elanga received praise from teammate Nemanja Matić, who commented on his bright future.
However, Elanga has also experienced negative incidents. On 4 February 2022, after missing a penalty in an FA Cup match against Middlesbrough, he became the target of racial abuse on social media platforms. Additionally, during a match against Leeds United on 20 February 2022, he was struck on the head by an object thrown by a spectator.
5. Career Statistics
5.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester United U21 | 2019-20 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 2020-21 | - | - | - | - | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 2 | ||
| Manchester United | 2020-21 | Premier League | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 1 | |
| 2021-22 | Premier League | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | 27 | 3 | ||
| 2022-23 | Premier League | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 26 | 0 | ||
| Total | 39 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 4 | ||
| Nottingham Forest | 2023-24 | Premier League | 36 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 39 | 5 | ||
| 2024-25 | Premier League | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 3 | |||
| Total | 63 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 68 | 8 | ||||
| Career total | 102 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 129 | 14 | ||
5.2. National Team
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 2022 | 9 | 1 |
| 2023 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 19 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 June 2022 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | Norway | 1-2 | 1-2 | 2022-23 UEFA Nations League B |
| 2 | 27 March 2023 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | Azerbaijan | 5-0 | 5-0 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 3 | 16 June 2023 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | New Zealand | 4-1 | 4-1 | Friendly |
6. Honours
6.1. Club
Manchester United
- EFL Cup: 2022-23
- FA Cup runner-up: 2022-23
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2020-21
6.2. Individual
- Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year: 2019-20