When searching for a right winger with exceptional acceleration, sprint speed, agility, dribbling, and finishing, look no further than Anthony Elanga, the son of Daniella and Joseph Elanga. Behind the Swedish-Cameroonian’s talent lies an inspiring story. This article delves into the full history of Anthony Elanga—a boy whose mother paused her own life to support his football journey and who followed in his father’s footsteps to keep the family’s football dreams alive.
Our article on Anthony Elanga’s Biography unveils the pivotal moments of his childhood story, his early embrace of football, and the unwavering support from his parents, Joseph and Daniella Elanga. Daniella travelled with him everywhere, nurturing his talent alongside the bond he shares with his sisters, Sandra and Chanelle. This article also delves into Elanga’s Cameroonian family origins, ethnicity, personal inquiries about his wife, personality, and lifestyle. Now, let’s dive into the potatoes and meat of this article.
The Story of Anthony Elanga: A Swedish-Cameroonian Following in His Father’s Footsteps
Our take on Anthony Elanga’s biography starts with a look at the key moments of his childhood in Malmo, Sweden. We then delve into his journey, exploring how he overcame numerous challenges to succeed in football. To give you a glimpse of the engaging story ahead, we’ve compiled a gallery showcasing Anthony’s early life and career rise. This visual timeline narrates his remarkable life journey and achievements.
Anthony Elanga Biography – From his Childhood days to the moment of fame.
Yes, we all recognize Anthony Elanga as a rapid winger, gifted with an excellent blend of speed, technique, and impressive dribbling skills. Despite the accolades, many football fans haven’t had the chance to read a concise version of Anthony Elanga’s biography. That’s why we’ve created this memoir—to enrich your knowledge about the Swedish star. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
Anthony Elanga Childhood Story:
For starters, he bears the full name – Anthony David Junior Elanga. The Swedish footballer was born on the 27th day of April 2002 to his mother, Daniella Elanga and father, Joseph Elanga, in Hyllie, Sweden.
Early Life and Growing Up:
Anthony Elanga’s parents raised him in a public housing estate in Hyllie. This is a Swedish southwestern district of Mamo.
The Speedster is the only son in a family of his Mum, Dad and three children. Anthony Elanga grew up alongside his sisters, Sandra and Chanelle.
At the age of four, the Boy’s family moved to Borås. This is a city beautifully situated in the southwest of Sweden.
Starting from that age, Anthony began to have one vision in mind. That is, to follow in his Dad’s footsteps and keep his family football lineage alive.
A deep love for football surrounded Anthony Elanga’s Early Days.
As early as the age of five, the young talent had begun mimicking the style of his Idol – Thierry Henry. Replicating the Arsenal Legend’s style was the very first set of skills he learned.
Anthony Elanga Family Background:
For the Swede, wanting to become a footballer has a direct relationship with the home he came from.
Starting off, Anthony Elanga’s Father, Joseph Elanga, was a professional footballer. The Super Dad was the opposite of his son, a defender, during his playing days.
At the time Daniella gave birth to Anthony, her husband (Joseph) played for the Swedish club, Malmo.
The father of three also played football for the Cameroonian national team. He was part of the team alongside Rigobert Song and Samuel Eto‘o – in the 1998 World Cup.
This is Anthony Elanga’s Dad, Joseph, when he played for the Cameroonian National team.
Anthony Elanga Family Origin:
The footballer is Swedish and Cameroonian because he was born in Sweden, and his parents are from Cameroon, West Africa. Owing to his roots, it is safe to refer to the footballer as a Swede-Cameroonian.
From an African ethnicity point of view, we do trace Anthony Elanga’s origin through the roots of his Dad, Joseph.
Because the ex-Cameroonian is a native of Yaounde, we tag the family’s ethnicity under the Ewondo tribe. Breel Embolo, the Swiss star, also belongs here.
This photo explains Anthony Elanga’s Family Origin. The footballer’s ancestry is traced to Yaounde, Cameroon.
Education:
Even though his commitment was to become a footballer, Joseph and Daniella wanted Anthony to also attend school.
Hence, Anthony went through the Swedish educational phases of förskoleklass (preschool), lågstadiet, mellanstadiet and högstadiet.
When his family moved to England, the youngster didn’t compromise his schooling for total football. Anthony Elanga attended Hyde High School in Manchester, England.
While living in Manchester, Anthony Elanga’s Mum (Daniella) made him switch secondary school so he could be closer to Man United’s Carrington training ground.
That saw her son live in the digs (close to Carrington) with his fellow Man United teammate, Teden Mengi.
Anthony Elanga Biography – Football Story:
After his family moved to Boras near Gothenburg, the youngster (age four) felt more than ready to begin his career journey.
Borås is a football-friendly city, and it was quite easy for Anthony Elanga’s parents to find an academy for him there.
The Swedish starlet began laying the foundation of his career after he passed IF Elfsborg trials. This is a football youth setup in the heart of Borås.
As expected, a highly enthusiastic Anthony began his career on solid footings, with hopes of following his Daddy’s footsteps.
This is young Anthony Elanga – when he was a kid.
Early on, in his academic career, Joseph (his Dad) got a football transfer. This time, not a club in Sweden, but in Denmark.
Joseph Elanga, in a bid not to disrupt Anthony’s progress with Elfsborg, decided not to move his family to Denmark. He journeyed there alone.
Daniella Elanga (Anthony’s Mum) understood the sacrifice her husband made. She became also aware of the nomadic nature of football.
Owing to Joseph’s absence, Daniella took care of Anthony and his siblings – Sandra and Chanelle.
More importantly, Anthony Elanga’s Mother gave herself the huge responsibility of looking after the affairs of his young career.
Daniella Elanga got to know more about football as she accompanied little Anthony to training as well as other match events relating to his career.
Road to Fame:
At the age of 11, in the year 2013, Joseph Elanga had already retired from his football career.
During that time, his family considered the idea of moving to England. The idea of relocating to the UK came from Daniella Elanga, the mother of the house.
According to her son, Anthony Elanga;
My mum liked England and wanted a new life there.
Moving to England had language implications, as Anthony Elanga’s parents knew learning the English Language was very important.
The family spoke only French and Swedish. To deal with that, Anthony, Sandra, and Chanelle took English classes.
Before leaving Sweden, the youngster transferred to a new academy. Anthony had a short youth career stint with Malmö FF, the club his father played before leaving for Brøndby in Denmark. Because his family was relocating, the 11-year-old had to quit playing there.
Early Years in England:
While London city is often the preferred destination for Cameroonians, Anthony Elanga’s family settled in Manchester.
They lived in Hyde, a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. While there, little Anthony was very optimistic about continuing his young career.
The Hyde Football Story:
Life in England wasn’t as easy as the family had expected. Football retirement commitment made Joseph hand over the responsibility of his son’s career pursuits to his wife.
Daniella Elanga had no football connection(s) in England. She strived to get him into an academy.
Enrolling Anthony at Hyde High School in Manchester, England, became Daniella’s first call of duty.
Afterwards, she took it upon herself to search for any football academy that would accept her son. Thankfully, she found Hyde United, the small football academy of the town.
When Disappointment Turned Blessing:
On a very cold night of the new year 2014, Anthony and his mum made plans to attend a training session and get him registered with Hyde Academy.
Little did both mother and son know that the training or registration would never happen.
One man by the name of Ian Forder gave a perfect account of the story. In his words;
“Anthony came to Ken Ward to look at Hyde United. The academy normally trained on the next set of cages before my team.
“I could see that Anthony was with his mother and he looked rather lost.
Noticing that, I approached him and said, ‘Can we help you?’ Then the boy asked if my team was Hyde United.
Ian Forder told Anthony that his team is not Hyde, but part of a football academy known as Hattersley. He further told him that Hyde (the team he was waiting for) normally comes to train on the next pitch.
Noticing that Hyde United academy had not turned up. Ian Forder (the coach of Hattersley academy) told Anthony, in his words…
Look, rather than have a wasted journey, come and train with Hattersley.
Why Hyde didn’t show up:
It was a cold, freezing night in January 2014. Ian Forder said that because of the weather condition, Hyde United told every one of their staff and players to remain indoors. That was why they didn’t show up.
Because Hyde didn’t show up, it became their loss. Rather than going home without playing football, Ian advised the youngster to put on his boots and join Hattersley’s players (for only 10 minutes) on the pitch.
The Miracle Ten Minutes:
Did you know?… During that 10 minutes, everyone started shouting at the way Anthony glided past his opponent like they never existed.
Ian Forder, in particular, praised the boy’s Mum for the job of raising him well. He further convinced Daniella Elanga to fill a Hattersley registration form for her boy – which she gladly did.
After the match, Ian Forder never let Anthony and his Mum go until all registration forms were properly filled. Minutes later, Daniella Elanga returned the forms – which contained her boy’s age.
Upon seeing the boy’s (below-average) age on paper, Ian further screamed and said the words;
‘no wonder I didn’t let you go home, lad. Truly, You won’t be in my academy for long.’
The Hattersley Rise:
When Anthony joined the academy, it immediately became to everyone that the Hyde High School boy was something special.
He was 11 years old at that time, but his talent made him qualify for Hattersley’s Under-12s (a higher age group).
In just 12 matches with his new academy, Anthony Elanga scored 17 goals and assisted 27 – according to his coach Ian Forder.
That season, Hattersley, a former mid-table team, finished second in the kids league. They had Anthony to thank for pushing them up.
Away from the pitch, the Swedish talent was such a gifted, well-mannered young boy.
At Hattersley, Anthony made friends immediately with a fellow player named Jake. It was Jake’s parents that took Anthony to and from training sessions and games.
The Swedish Starlet also remembers when he played football for – on a bad pitch. To play on a better pitch, Antony Elanga’s mother and others had to pay an £80 fee to Hattersley FC.
The academy then transferred Anthony and his other teammates to train and play matches at Alder Community High School. The boys continued playing there until their waterlogged pitch got repaired.
This is Anthony Elanga – in his Hattersley days.
Manchester City and United interest:
The young Swede worked his way up through Hattersley’s local team before getting scouted by bigger academies. At this time, Ian Forder remembered what he said, that Anthony wasn’t going to be with him for long.
How United found Elanga:
Man City showed interest at first, and Anthony had a few training sessions with them. The club got impressed and began preparing a contract.
The interest of Man United came when Anthony Elanga outclassed everyone in a Hattersley match that ended eight goals to one. Speaking about how United found him, Anthony said;
I played with Hattersley, in a match that ended with 8 goals in favour of my team.
Manchester United’s scouts were on site and saw me.
How Manchester United Stole Anthony Elanga:
The contract between Manchester City and the boy was ready for his Mum to review and make him sign.
But one man by the name of Martin Cole blocked it. He is a Man United scout and the father of Anthony’s friend at Hattersley.
Martin Coyne (the scout) wasted no time contacting United’s chief scout. Immediately, a request was made to Anthony Elanga’s mother – that her son should come for a test training. Of course, Daniella agreed to it because she is a Manchester United fan.
Anthony’s trials with United were successful, and it took a week and a half. Afterwards, he signed their contract. Despite City’s interest, the Swede couldn’t say no to what United presented in front of him.
In fact, Anthony always giggles whenever he remembers what his mother told him when he asked her about signing it. Daniella said in her words;
‘Son, you do not say no to Manchester United!’
Anthony Elanga Biography – The Success Story:
The first sign of progress at his new club came through an international tournament held in Spain.
Anthony represented Manchester United in Majorca – with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Majorca’s own team. Did you know?… He got the Player of the Tournament award.
In his early years with United, Anthony formed the habit of watching and replicating videos of football’s top players.
Below is a video of Anthony imitating Lionel Messi‘s rapid dribbling pace. Surely, it makes him is a great fit for United’s counter-attacking football.
Anthony became one of the hardest workers United had. He was always hungry to improve, and he kept wanting to work even harder in training. Elanga progressed exactly how his coaches hoped at Old Trafford.
Even at the Swedish junior national team, the boy used the skills he learned at Man United.
With this kind of performance, as displayed in the video below, Anthony became a renewed version of Alexander Isak. In fact, he became the best youngster in the whole of Sweden.
Succeeding the Family’s football legacy, finally coming true:
Determination and Hard work at Manchester United finally paid dividends. To the joy of Anthony Elanga’s family, their famous son got awarded a senior football contract.
It is a contract that’ll see him relieving the pressure on Marcus Rashford – in the United first team.
Signing a professional contract with Manchester United was indeed a proud moment for his parents.
Elanga was too good a player, and Ole-Gunner Solskjaer never risked losing him on a free transfer, hence the contract.
In April 2021, the Rising Star repaid the faith United had in him by scoring his first Premier League goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
At the time of writing Anthony Elanga’s biography, he had just trilled United fans yet again after Ralf Rangnick handed him his Champions League debut.
The Boy has vowed to “keep pushing, and a bigger success is not far. The rest of his Biography, as we say, is history.
Love Life:
The Pacey Swedish winger only makes the news for the impressive performance he gives us on the pitch.
Away from that, there exists little or no documentation about the identity of Anthony Elanga’s girlfriend.
Who is Anthony Elanga’s Girlfriend?
For some footballers, not properly mixing an early senior career with being in a relationship can be unforgivable.
This reason explains why Anthony could be single in 2021 – the time of writing his Biography. There is no wife or girlfriend for the Swede – at least for now.
Personality:
This section of his Life story explains the personality of the United winger. Away from everything football, what does Anthony Elanga do off the pitch?
First, let’s take you through his unbelievable workout routine. This Pogba-like video explains why people call Anthony Elanga a hard worker.
When Anthony Elanga is out of the gym, he finds his swimming pool – where he calms his mind and body. What a perfect way for him to ease stress, relieve anxiety and improve his mental health.
Life away from football is truly awesome for the Swede.
Lifestyle:
The salary he receives from Man United helps fund his lifestyle. Making lots of money is one of Anthony’s goals, and he sure uses it to pursue the things he loves doing. One of which is travelling and enjoying himself at the seaside.
Anthony Elanga’s Lifestyle – Explained.
Anthony Elanga Car:
Sometimes, they say a footballer’s Happiness is the vehicle they travel in and not their destination.
This appears to be Anthony Elanga’s car. It makes his busy life easier, gives him the freedom to commute anywhere and facilitates his daily task.
Anthony Elanga steps away from what looks like his Car.
Anthony Elanga Family Life:
The son of Daniella and Joseph has come a long way thanks to their support and sacrifice. They have bequeathed to Anthony, not with riches, but the spirit of reverence.
This section of our Biography tells you more about Anthony Elanga’s parents and siblings. Now let’s begin.
About Anthony Elanga Father:
Joseph was born (in 1979) and raised by middle-class parents in Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital. He played football for Canon Yaoundé (a local club) until the year 1998 – when an opportunity arose to travel abroad.
Anthony Elanga’s Dad played in Greece for two years before leaving for Sweden. The beginning of life in Sweden was traumatic because of the cold.
Soon after, the idea to make babies came and that was how Anthony, Sandra, and Chanelle came into the world.
At the first training session, Joseph remembers the unforgettable experience of showing up with three pairs of gloves and two thick sweaters.
He wore one thick sweater on top of the other. Because his teammates laughed at him, he stopped that and got used to the cold.
Today, the father of three is proud that Anthony (his son) has followed in his footsteps.
More importantly, keeping alive and heading the second generation of the Elanga family’s footballing legacy. Joseph is like many other Dads who look after their son’s careers.
This is Anthony Elanga’s Dad, Joseph. He is a role model who provides a feeling of security, both physical and emotional for his son.
Anthony Elanga Mother:
The loving embrace of Daniella has helped her son move mountains. While her husband got busy with career commitments, she became the compass that guided Anthony.
She remains the only person that can write a book or make a full documentary of her son’s life.
Anthony Elanga’s Mother (Daniella) also played football in her youth. She was an amateur footballer for a local women’s team in Cameroon, her country. Daniella’s football career came to a halt at the time she decided to raise a family with her husband, Joseph.
Anthony Elanga Siblings:
The Swedish footballer has two sisters named Sandra and Chanelle. Being the only son of his parents means Anthony has no brothers.
Little documentation exists about Sandra and Chanelle, except for the fact that they live and have schooled in Manchester.
Anthony Elanga Grandparents:
Information from his paternal side is more documented than that of his maternal. Anthony Elanga’s grandfather (from his father’s side) was once a Cameroonian civil servant who worked with Yaoundé’s water purification plant.
Untold Facts:
Rounding up the Biography of the Swede, we’ll use this section to tell more truths about the Speedster. Without wasting any further of your time, let’s begin.
Anthony Elanga Net worth:
In his first year after academy graduation, the Winger took home a total sum of £312,480. Adding this amount with football bonuses, we estimate Anthony Elanga’s Net worth – as of 2021 – to be at £600,000. With a new contract coming, this amount is set to increase.
Jimmy Murphy Award:
As is the norm, every year, Manchester United rewards one of their footballers with the Young Player of the Year award. They renamed this award the Jimmy Murphy Award in 1989 following his death that year.
Anthony Elanga won the prestigious Jimmy Murphy Award in the 2020/2021 season. Notable names who have won it include Ryan Giggs, Giuseppe Rossi, Paul Scholes (CM), Danny Welbeck (CF), Tahith Chong (RW), Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho (LW), Axel Tuanzebe, etc.
Anthony Elanga Profile:
For comparison’s sake, the United Star is very much like Nicolas Gonzalez and Christian Pulisic. Anthony Elanga is the ideal man to purchase (in FIFA career mode) if you are looking for a young winger with blazing speed. The Winger’s FIFA stats are due for an upgrade, and EA needs to act fast.
Anthony Elanga Religion:
The Swedish professional footballer is a practising Christian. In fact, his parents (Daniella and Joseph) raised him as a Catholic.
Anthony Elanga attends mass, and he is the type who shows his Christian faith in public. The Baller’s Instagram Bio has the words;
Trust in God
Anthony Elanga’s Religion – Explained.
As a family tradition, the first thing he does every morning is to say his prayers. Anthony Elanga’s parents began attending the catholic church – way back in 2003, since the funeral mass of their late brother and ex-Cameroonian footballer – Marc-Vivien Foé.
EndNote:
Football brought Anthony Elanga’s parents together. And both of them have their family origins in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital.
The quest to enrich his career saw Anthony’s Dad, Joseph, travelling abroad. He first went to Greece and then Sweden – where he endured a lot of cold weather.
In April 2002, Daniella and Joseph celebrated the birth of their son, Anthony. As a child, the boy was destined to follow in his Dad’s footsteps.
Anthony Elanga grew up alongside his sisters who go by the names Sandra and Chanelle. As a child, all three siblings and their parents lived in one of the public housing areas of Hyllie, a southwestern district of Malmö.
At the age of four, little Anthony began his football career with a Swedish local academy, IF Elfsborg. This was a time his family moved to Borås, a town beautifully situated in the southwest of Sweden.
Life in England:
Fast forward to seven years later, Anthony Elanga’s mother found herself wanting a new life in England. The need to experience a new culture saw her family relocating to the UK. During that time, their footballing son was only eleven.
After arriving in England, Anthony Elanga’s family settled in Hyde, Manchester. In that town, he attended Hyde High School.
A disappointment about not playing for Hyde’s local team turned into a blessing for the youngster. Ian Forder, a man who coached another team (Hattersley FC), absorbed Anthony after his Hyde team didn’t show up on a cold Monday night.
As expected, the footballer excelled in flying colours with Hattersley. That saw him getting a call from Manchester City. Unfortunately, Man United hijacked the deal because of Anthony Elanga’s family friend’s Dad, who happened to be a United scout.
This was how Anthony got his transfer to United. With the Red Devils, he earned the Jimmy Murphy Award. Elanga successfully graduated from the Reds’ academy. As I put up this memoir, he, alongside notable footballers like Ibrahim Sangare and Morgan Gibbs-White, are making a name for himself with Nottingham Forest under the command of Nuno Espirito Santo.
Appreciation Note:
Thank you for taking the time to read our version of Anthony Elanga’s biography. No doubt, he is the future of Swedish football, a Rising star in the making and a boy who won’t allow racism (BBC report) to get the better of him.
Kindly inform us if you notice anything that doesn’t look right in Anthony’s Bio. We would also like your thoughts about the Speedy winger in our comment section. Lastly, please stay tuned for more Biographies from us.
