Anthony Elanga

[mighty__mag]

Villa bound 

[Nucasol]

8 minutes ago, mighty__mag said:

Villa bound 

Where’s this coming from? More Twatter maniacs or a decent source?
 

Would be the biggest kick in the dick of the window so far if the case.

[SteV]

Just now, Nucasol said:

Where’s this coming from? More Twatter maniacs or a decent source?
 

Would be the biggest kick in the dick of the window so far if the case.

TalkSport yesterday 

[Nucasol]

Just now, SteV said:

TalkSport yesterday 

Highly believable source 👍🏻

[SweMag]

3 hours ago, Disco said:

 

Elanga is from as close to Denmark as it's possible to get tbf which I thought may be a factor but then he'd have been at Man Utd growing up so who knows what the backstory is. 

What? 

[Collage]

2 hours ago, matta said:

Norwegians love other Scandinavians! And rightly so. 

But it’s a one-way street, sorry 

[The Prophet]

6 minutes ago, Nucasol said:

Highly believable source 👍🏻

 

They said that Villa are interested, not that he's moving there.

[Nucasol]

5 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

 

They said that Villa are interested, not that he's moving there.

“Villa bound” kind of suggests he is moving there. @mighty__mag’s comment, thought there might actually be something of substance to make a claim like that.

[CallumG6]

3 hours ago, Inu said:

As a Norwegian i dont think i have ever heard of hating each other. Some friendly rivalry and banter but all Scandinavians connect easily because of similarities in language and culture👍🏽

 

 

 

Apologies for my ignorance. Unsure where I heard it, probably misunderstood as a friendly rivalry more than anything! 

[Nattfare]

1 hour ago, SweMag said:

What? 

 

I think he means that Elanga is from Malmö. 

[Skeletor]

Not Isak tapping him up. Worrying.

[Dr Venkman]

Down with dancing, they’re not real men.

[madras]

2 hours ago, MattB said:

This is weird SWEden DENmark ? 

And whats left DEN and MARK.

[mighty__mag]

2 hours ago, Nucasol said:

Where’s this coming from? More Twatter maniacs or a decent source?
 

Would be the biggest kick in the dick of the window so far if the case.

 

There's a slight rumour theyre interested, but I was just being a nob if truthful 

[SweMag]

Here is an interview with Anthony Elanga from 2022, translated from Swedish. Enjoy! 

 

With every word Anthony Elanga says—every life step he recounts—it’s as if the corners of his mouth conquer a new part of his face that just moments ago seemed out of reach.
 

“From Borås… to England… to Manchester United… to the first team… to the national team…”
 

Now his cheeks are smiling, his eyes are smiling, even his forehead is smiling. It’s impossible to imagine a more radiant 19-year-old.

 

Anthony Elanga is in the midst of his first days as a senior national team player. Since the team is still in a pandemic bubble, we’re doing the interview digitally rather than in person—but this is a joy that bursts through both distance and screens.

 

This is a joy that’s felt, that’s contagious, that inspires.

 

“If 11-year-old Anthony had written this as an essay in school in Borås… I never would’ve believed it was possible. It still feels crazy when I think about it.”

 

When Zlatan Ibrahimović was 19, he was fighting for a foothold at Ajax. At the same age, Fredrik Ljungberg played for Halmstad, and Henrik Larsson was in Division III with Högaborg.

 

In all of Swedish football history, it’s hard—maybe even impossible—to find a teenager who’s achieved as much on such big stages as Anthony Elanga.

 

He’s established himself at one of the world’s biggest clubs, in the planet’s most high-profile league. He’s scored in everything from stormy battles at Elland Road to glittering nights at Wanda Metropolitano.

 

In many ways, it feels like Elanga already belongs to another galaxy—he’s in that stratosphere where ordinary football doesn’t reach—but as soon as he starts talking, it’s clear there’s still a lot of the small-town Swedish kid left in him.

 

Before moving to Manchester, Elanga lived in Limmared, a quiet old glassblowing village with just over 1,000 residents, where the plains of Västergötland give way to the forests of Småland.

 

He had previously lived in various parts of Borås—on Marklandsgatan, in Trandared—and it was in that city that his football life first took shape. He can still talk in detail about matches with Elfsborg’s under-8 team, with teammate Besfort Zeneli beside him and coach “Jocke” on the sidelines.

 

“I wonder if Jocke remembers me...? I remember him, at least. I have so many good memories from Elfsborg.”

 

Everything changed in 2013, when Elanga was 11. He moved to England with his mother and two sisters, leaving behind the safety and friends of home.

 

“I was pretty sad, felt like I’d miss all my friends. But three days before we moved, my mom threw a big farewell party. She bought pizza for everyone on my Elfsborg team. It was like: ‘Thank you so much for everything, we’ll miss you.’ And my teammates signed a T-shirt and gave it to me. I still have that shirt in England. I’ve kept it—it means a lot to me.”

 

After scoring his first Premier League goal—against Wolverhampton in the season finale—he dedicated the success to his mother Daniella and spoke about the obstacles they had to overcome.

 

“She knows how hard it was when we first came here. One day she’ll write a book or make a documentary about it.”

 

Starting over at 11 isn’t easy. It can feel like beginning from scratch—like nothing you’ve learned or achieved counts anymore.

 

“The first year was really, really hard. First, the language… Even though we’d studied some English in school, it was completely different being in the country. At first, I mostly talked to other kids who also didn’t speak English well. Everything felt different. They wear school uniforms, and they’re very strict about what you can and can’t do.”

 

Why did you move?

 

“To change our lifestyle. My mom knew there were many more opportunities in England—not just for football, but for my sisters too. A month before we moved, she went to England to check things out, and I think she had already made up her mind. We were moving. ‘This is the right place for my children.’”

 

How did it feel for you?

 

“Mom always said: ‘The opportunities are in England.’ I trusted her. I just thought: ‘This is what’s happening now.’ I left everything in Sweden behind—I focused only on England. And the rest is history.”

 

The initial confusion faded quickly, because Elanga had a clear path into his new life. He didn’t understand the grading system or the Mancunian dialect—but he could play football.

 

And that’s often enough.

 

“I just looked forward to recess, because then I could play football. I couldn’t speak English, but I always say football is a language too. And I could speak that. I could communicate with the ball at my feet.”

 

After just a few recesses, his classmates realized a new opportunity had arrived. The school team had an away match coming up, and here was a sensational new addition. They went straight to the PE teacher and asked him to find a spot for the new kid.

 

“They asked if I had football boots. I said, ‘No, I’m new here.’ So they gave me a pair that were way too big—probably two sizes too big. But I did well, I think I scored three goals.”

 

One of them is still talked about at that school. You’re said to have stepped up to a free kick and declared you’d shoot like Cristiano Ronaldo—and then you did.

 

“It’s crazy how it happened… We got a free kick, and I said I’d shoot like Ronaldo. And then… yeah, the ball went in. Just like I said.”

 

Since the family lived in Hyde—a fairly poor suburb on Manchester’s eastern edge—Elanga was advised to join the local club Hyde United.

 

One rainy Wednesday evening, he and his mother took the bus to find the training ground, but when they arrived, they couldn’t find the team.

 

“It was raining, and we didn’t have umbrellas or anything. We asked a man where Hyde United was, but he said we’d come on the wrong day—they trained on Fridays. We didn’t know what to do, but the man said we could train with his team instead. They were called Hattersley United. The players were two years older than me, but I took the opportunity. I started playing with Hattersley, and both the coaches and players were great to me. I’m still in touch with them.”

 

In 14 matches for Hattersley United’s U13 team, 11-year-old Elanga scored 17 goals and made 27 assists. Word spread quickly across Manchester. In one of the world’s most intense football cities, there are few secrets—few undiscovered gems—and here it was as if a raw diamond had just fallen from the sky.

 

Shortly after his 12th birthday, Elanga was invited to trial with both Manchester City and Manchester United.

 

“City came first. In England, they have six-week trial periods. I was at City for five weeks, but the last week I went to United. And after just one week, they wanted me to stay. I felt really, really good there from day one.”

 

This was summer 2014—right when City had started winning and United had stopped.

 

“I talked it over with my mom and dad, and they also thought United was the right club for me. We knew they always gave chances to young players, and at that time their academy was really top-notch. In my heart, it was always United.”

 

When Elanga looks way back, he remembers falling for a young Leo Messi—“a little guy with long hair and number 30 on his back.” He was only four when Messi changed numbers at Barcelona, and later he became more and more drawn to Thierry Henry. But despite his admiration for global stars, his first and greatest football hero was, of course, his own father.

 

Joseph Elanga earned 17 caps for Cameroon and was part of the 1998 World Cup squad. Anthony was born too late to witness that, but at age eight he saw his father win another Swedish championship with Malmö FF.

 

“I remember that really clearly. I was there with my mom and sister, at the victory dinner and everything. I still follow the Allsvenskan, and the team I support is Malmö—my dad’s team.”

 

He also credits his mother—who played football herself—with passing on talent: “She was technically skilled, had a really, really good left foot, and was fast even though she was small.” But he’s especially grateful for having a father who played professionally.

 

Most of all, it gave him an understanding of what it really takes to succeed. Elanga developed a mindset and attitude early on that set him apart.

 

“People say it’s my speed or my technique—but I think my greatest weapon is my mentality.”

 

Is that what explains how far you’ve come, so early?

 

“Yes. A lot of people tell me that, and I’ve always said it myself—there’s a big difference between my mentality and that of other young players. If you told other young players to go through the journey I’ve been on—I don’t think many would succeed. But my dad played in a World Cup. He knows what it takes to reach the top level, and he instilled that in me early. I’ve had this mentality since I was young. When we had six weeks off in the summer, I still trained. I don’t like sitting around watching TV—I like to run. I’m very thankful to have had a dad with that mentality, and that he passed it on to me.”

 

In Sweden, we often talk about players still being unfinished at 22 or 23. You were professional about your football already at 12 or 13.

 

“There are many more Swedish talents who will come out of the shadows. They just need to take risks, step out of their comfort zones, maybe move abroad. But in two or three years—there will be more, more, more talent coming from Sweden… I know it. If you work hard, if you focus on what’s in front of you—anything is possible.”

 

After two Premier League starts and a goal late last spring, Elanga saw this as the season he would truly break through. Once again, he did his own preseason training before Manchester United’s official one began. But three months into the season, he had only played 17 minutes of first-team football—in the League Cup.

 

Elanga is deeply grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjær—“he gave me my debut, and I’ll always appreciate him”—but it’s no exaggeration to say his career took off when the Norwegian was replaced by Ralf Rangnick.

 

Overnight—after just one training session—all talk of a loan move to a Championship club or a lower Premier League side disappeared. Rangnick is a man who trusts his football instincts, and what he saw was clear.

 

Anthony Elanga was ready. Strip away the names and reputations, and he wasn’t just a promising youngster—he was one of the best attacking players in Manchester United’s entire squad.

 

“It clicked between me and Ralf right away. The kind of person I am… I like to work hard—not just on the pitch, but off it too. I like asking questions, I like listening. And Ralf can explain how I can improve—and that’s what I really like about him. That’s what’s going to help me.”

 

The months that followed were a whirlwind. Since the turn of the year, Elanga played in every match for Manchester United. Success followed success, milestone after milestone—but when asked about the most powerful moment from this period, Elanga chooses to talk about his one major personal failure.

 

In the FA Cup match against Middlesbrough, 15 players scored their penalties. Anthony Elanga was the only one who missed.

 

“For me, that’s actually the strongest feeling, the biggest lesson. Before that, everything was just going up. Starting against Aston Villa. Starting and scoring against Brentford. Starting against West Ham. It was all up, up—but a football career will always have ups and downs. So it was good that it happened. I’m not saying I wanted to miss, but it was useful for me to feel that.”

 

But if you’re a bit kinder to yourself—when has the joy been the greatest?

 

“Atlético Madrid, for sure. Scoring against a big European club in the Champions League… You know, I was on the bench, and I wanted to come on and show what I could do. So when Ralf told me to go in and do my thing, I was fully focused. When he said, ‘Anthony, you’re going in’—I already knew.”

 

As everyone knows, Anthony Elanga has already become a fan favorite at Old Trafford, a hero to Manchester United’s traveling supporters. His teenage years in Hyde make the Reds see him as one of their own, and this spring, no chant has been sung with more enthusiasm than “Rhythm Is a Dancer – Anthony Elanga.”

 

“It’s incredible. I remember being 13 and going to Old Trafford for the first time. Everyone was singing Wayne Rooney’s song. They sang for Carrick and ‘Fletch’, and… To come out now and hear my name… I can’t describe how it feels. It’s hard to understand.”

 

As he speaks, Elanga’s face changes. There’s something about that chant that moves him, that truly touches him. In a way, it’s proof that he and his family made it—that they arrived.

 

“My mom took a big risk when we moved—but you have to take risks to reach the highest level. And here we are now.”

 

The last winter before he moved, Elanga’s home country played against the country he was about to move to. Sweden’s new national stadium was inaugurated, and a tall guy in the home team scored four goals.

 

“I remember it so clearly. ‘Ibra’ scored four goals and a bicycle kick, and… That’s when I knew. ‘I want to play for Sweden too, I want to score goals like that.’ That same night, I ran straight outside and tried to do the same thing. My mom said, ‘Where are you going? Look how late it is! Come inside, come inside!’ But I just said, ‘No, I’m going to do a bicycle kick like Zlatan did.’”

 

Today, Anthony Elanga speaks fluent English with a distinct Manchester accent. It’s in England that he became an elite player—it’s where he gained financial security and boundless fan love—and in a way, it would’ve been easy to understand if he had chosen to represent the larger, more resource-rich football nation.

 

But that was never on the table. Of course, the English FA made repeated approaches, but each time they got the same answer.

 

Anthony Elanga had already made up his mind. No matter how long he lives in England, he will always be Swedish—and that’s the national team he wants to represent.

 

“As soon as we started talking about it in the family, I told them: ‘Sweden is my choice, it’s my dream to play for Sweden.’ My mom also wanted me to play for Sweden, and even though my dad played for Cameroon, he said: ‘We support you.’”

 

In his eight U21 appearances for Sweden, Elanga has scored seven goals. Tomorrow, both his parents will be at Friends Arena as a new chapter begins in a story that’s already rich with meaning—despite being so short.

 

That chapter will be written in blue and yellow.

 

“For me, there was never any doubt. I was born in Sweden, I’ve spent 75 percent of my life here. Sweden means a lot to me—in my heart.”

[gbandit]

I couldn’t cope with the hyperbole, noped out after a couple of sentences

[Teslact]

3 hours ago, Dr Venkman said:

Down with dancing, they’re not real men.

 

(Nowt wrong with dancing)

[The Prophet]

1 hour ago, SweMag said:

Here is an interview with Anthony Elanga from 2022, translated from Swedish. Enjoy! 

 

With every word Anthony Elanga says—every life step he recounts—it’s as if the corners of his mouth conquer a new part of his face that just moments ago seemed out of reach.
 

“From Borås… to England… to Manchester United… to the first team… to the national team…”
 

Now his cheeks are smiling, his eyes are smiling, even his forehead is smiling. It’s impossible to imagine a more radiant 19-year-old.

 

Anthony Elanga is in the midst of his first days as a senior national team player. Since the team is still in a pandemic bubble, we’re doing the interview digitally rather than in person—but this is a joy that bursts through both distance and screens.

 

This is a joy that’s felt, that’s contagious, that inspires.

 

“If 11-year-old Anthony had written this as an essay in school in Borås… I never would’ve believed it was possible. It still feels crazy when I think about it.”

 

When Zlatan Ibrahimović was 19, he was fighting for a foothold at Ajax. At the same age, Fredrik Ljungberg played for Halmstad, and Henrik Larsson was in Division III with Högaborg.

 

In all of Swedish football history, it’s hard—maybe even impossible—to find a teenager who’s achieved as much on such big stages as Anthony Elanga.

 

He’s established himself at one of the world’s biggest clubs, in the planet’s most high-profile league. He’s scored in everything from stormy battles at Elland Road to glittering nights at Wanda Metropolitano.

 

In many ways, it feels like Elanga already belongs to another galaxy—he’s in that stratosphere where ordinary football doesn’t reach—but as soon as he starts talking, it’s clear there’s still a lot of the small-town Swedish kid left in him.

 

Before moving to Manchester, Elanga lived in Limmared, a quiet old glassblowing village with just over 1,000 residents, where the plains of Västergötland give way to the forests of Småland.

 

He had previously lived in various parts of Borås—on Marklandsgatan, in Trandared—and it was in that city that his football life first took shape. He can still talk in detail about matches with Elfsborg’s under-8 team, with teammate Besfort Zeneli beside him and coach “Jocke” on the sidelines.

 

“I wonder if Jocke remembers me...? I remember him, at least. I have so many good memories from Elfsborg.”

 

Everything changed in 2013, when Elanga was 11. He moved to England with his mother and two sisters, leaving behind the safety and friends of home.

 

“I was pretty sad, felt like I’d miss all my friends. But three days before we moved, my mom threw a big farewell party. She bought pizza for everyone on my Elfsborg team. It was like: ‘Thank you so much for everything, we’ll miss you.’ And my teammates signed a T-shirt and gave it to me. I still have that shirt in England. I’ve kept it—it means a lot to me.”

 

After scoring his first Premier League goal—against Wolverhampton in the season finale—he dedicated the success to his mother Daniella and spoke about the obstacles they had to overcome.

 

“She knows how hard it was when we first came here. One day she’ll write a book or make a documentary about it.”

 

Starting over at 11 isn’t easy. It can feel like beginning from scratch—like nothing you’ve learned or achieved counts anymore.

 

“The first year was really, really hard. First, the language… Even though we’d studied some English in school, it was completely different being in the country. At first, I mostly talked to other kids who also didn’t speak English well. Everything felt different. They wear school uniforms, and they’re very strict about what you can and can’t do.”

 

Why did you move?

 

“To change our lifestyle. My mom knew there were many more opportunities in England—not just for football, but for my sisters too. A month before we moved, she went to England to check things out, and I think she had already made up her mind. We were moving. ‘This is the right place for my children.’”

 

How did it feel for you?

 

“Mom always said: ‘The opportunities are in England.’ I trusted her. I just thought: ‘This is what’s happening now.’ I left everything in Sweden behind—I focused only on England. And the rest is history.”

 

The initial confusion faded quickly, because Elanga had a clear path into his new life. He didn’t understand the grading system or the Mancunian dialect—but he could play football.

 

And that’s often enough.

 

“I just looked forward to recess, because then I could play football. I couldn’t speak English, but I always say football is a language too. And I could speak that. I could communicate with the ball at my feet.”

 

After just a few recesses, his classmates realized a new opportunity had arrived. The school team had an away match coming up, and here was a sensational new addition. They went straight to the PE teacher and asked him to find a spot for the new kid.

 

“They asked if I had football boots. I said, ‘No, I’m new here.’ So they gave me a pair that were way too big—probably two sizes too big. But I did well, I think I scored three goals.”

 

One of them is still talked about at that school. You’re said to have stepped up to a free kick and declared you’d shoot like Cristiano Ronaldo—and then you did.

 

“It’s crazy how it happened… We got a free kick, and I said I’d shoot like Ronaldo. And then… yeah, the ball went in. Just like I said.”

 

Since the family lived in Hyde—a fairly poor suburb on Manchester’s eastern edge—Elanga was advised to join the local club Hyde United.

 

One rainy Wednesday evening, he and his mother took the bus to find the training ground, but when they arrived, they couldn’t find the team.

 

“It was raining, and we didn’t have umbrellas or anything. We asked a man where Hyde United was, but he said we’d come on the wrong day—they trained on Fridays. We didn’t know what to do, but the man said we could train with his team instead. They were called Hattersley United. The players were two years older than me, but I took the opportunity. I started playing with Hattersley, and both the coaches and players were great to me. I’m still in touch with them.”

 

In 14 matches for Hattersley United’s U13 team, 11-year-old Elanga scored 17 goals and made 27 assists. Word spread quickly across Manchester. In one of the world’s most intense football cities, there are few secrets—few undiscovered gems—and here it was as if a raw diamond had just fallen from the sky.

 

Shortly after his 12th birthday, Elanga was invited to trial with both Manchester City and Manchester United.

 

“City came first. In England, they have six-week trial periods. I was at City for five weeks, but the last week I went to United. And after just one week, they wanted me to stay. I felt really, really good there from day one.”

 

This was summer 2014—right when City had started winning and United had stopped.

 

“I talked it over with my mom and dad, and they also thought United was the right club for me. We knew they always gave chances to young players, and at that time their academy was really top-notch. In my heart, it was always United.”

 

When Elanga looks way back, he remembers falling for a young Leo Messi—“a little guy with long hair and number 30 on his back.” He was only four when Messi changed numbers at Barcelona, and later he became more and more drawn to Thierry Henry. But despite his admiration for global stars, his first and greatest football hero was, of course, his own father.

 

Joseph Elanga earned 17 caps for Cameroon and was part of the 1998 World Cup squad. Anthony was born too late to witness that, but at age eight he saw his father win another Swedish championship with Malmö FF.

 

“I remember that really clearly. I was there with my mom and sister, at the victory dinner and everything. I still follow the Allsvenskan, and the team I support is Malmö—my dad’s team.”

 

He also credits his mother—who played football herself—with passing on talent: “She was technically skilled, had a really, really good left foot, and was fast even though she was small.” But he’s especially grateful for having a father who played professionally.

 

Most of all, it gave him an understanding of what it really takes to succeed. Elanga developed a mindset and attitude early on that set him apart.

 

“People say it’s my speed or my technique—but I think my greatest weapon is my mentality.”

 

Is that what explains how far you’ve come, so early?

 

“Yes. A lot of people tell me that, and I’ve always said it myself—there’s a big difference between my mentality and that of other young players. If you told other young players to go through the journey I’ve been on—I don’t think many would succeed. But my dad played in a World Cup. He knows what it takes to reach the top level, and he instilled that in me early. I’ve had this mentality since I was young. When we had six weeks off in the summer, I still trained. I don’t like sitting around watching TV—I like to run. I’m very thankful to have had a dad with that mentality, and that he passed it on to me.”

 

In Sweden, we often talk about players still being unfinished at 22 or 23. You were professional about your football already at 12 or 13.

 

“There are many more Swedish talents who will come out of the shadows. They just need to take risks, step out of their comfort zones, maybe move abroad. But in two or three years—there will be more, more, more talent coming from Sweden… I know it. If you work hard, if you focus on what’s in front of you—anything is possible.”

 

After two Premier League starts and a goal late last spring, Elanga saw this as the season he would truly break through. Once again, he did his own preseason training before Manchester United’s official one began. But three months into the season, he had only played 17 minutes of first-team football—in the League Cup.

 

Elanga is deeply grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjær—“he gave me my debut, and I’ll always appreciate him”—but it’s no exaggeration to say his career took off when the Norwegian was replaced by Ralf Rangnick.

 

Overnight—after just one training session—all talk of a loan move to a Championship club or a lower Premier League side disappeared. Rangnick is a man who trusts his football instincts, and what he saw was clear.

 

Anthony Elanga was ready. Strip away the names and reputations, and he wasn’t just a promising youngster—he was one of the best attacking players in Manchester United’s entire squad.

 

“It clicked between me and Ralf right away. The kind of person I am… I like to work hard—not just on the pitch, but off it too. I like asking questions, I like listening. And Ralf can explain how I can improve—and that’s what I really like about him. That’s what’s going to help me.”

 

The months that followed were a whirlwind. Since the turn of the year, Elanga played in every match for Manchester United. Success followed success, milestone after milestone—but when asked about the most powerful moment from this period, Elanga chooses to talk about his one major personal failure.

 

In the FA Cup match against Middlesbrough, 15 players scored their penalties. Anthony Elanga was the only one who missed.

 

“For me, that’s actually the strongest feeling, the biggest lesson. Before that, everything was just going up. Starting against Aston Villa. Starting and scoring against Brentford. Starting against West Ham. It was all up, up—but a football career will always have ups and downs. So it was good that it happened. I’m not saying I wanted to miss, but it was useful for me to feel that.”

 

But if you’re a bit kinder to yourself—when has the joy been the greatest?

 

“Atlético Madrid, for sure. Scoring against a big European club in the Champions League… You know, I was on the bench, and I wanted to come on and show what I could do. So when Ralf told me to go in and do my thing, I was fully focused. When he said, ‘Anthony, you’re going in’—I already knew.”

 

As everyone knows, Anthony Elanga has already become a fan favorite at Old Trafford, a hero to Manchester United’s traveling supporters. His teenage years in Hyde make the Reds see him as one of their own, and this spring, no chant has been sung with more enthusiasm than “Rhythm Is a Dancer – Anthony Elanga.”

 

“It’s incredible. I remember being 13 and going to Old Trafford for the first time. Everyone was singing Wayne Rooney’s song. They sang for Carrick and ‘Fletch’, and… To come out now and hear my name… I can’t describe how it feels. It’s hard to understand.”

 

As he speaks, Elanga’s face changes. There’s something about that chant that moves him, that truly touches him. In a way, it’s proof that he and his family made it—that they arrived.

 

“My mom took a big risk when we moved—but you have to take risks to reach the highest level. And here we are now.”

 

The last winter before he moved, Elanga’s home country played against the country he was about to move to. Sweden’s new national stadium was inaugurated, and a tall guy in the home team scored four goals.

 

“I remember it so clearly. ‘Ibra’ scored four goals and a bicycle kick, and… That’s when I knew. ‘I want to play for Sweden too, I want to score goals like that.’ That same night, I ran straight outside and tried to do the same thing. My mom said, ‘Where are you going? Look how late it is! Come inside, come inside!’ But I just said, ‘No, I’m going to do a bicycle kick like Zlatan did.’”

 

Today, Anthony Elanga speaks fluent English with a distinct Manchester accent. It’s in England that he became an elite player—it’s where he gained financial security and boundless fan love—and in a way, it would’ve been easy to understand if he had chosen to represent the larger, more resource-rich football nation.

 

But that was never on the table. Of course, the English FA made repeated approaches, but each time they got the same answer.

 

Anthony Elanga had already made up his mind. No matter how long he lives in England, he will always be Swedish—and that’s the national team he wants to represent.

 

“As soon as we started talking about it in the family, I told them: ‘Sweden is my choice, it’s my dream to play for Sweden.’ My mom also wanted me to play for Sweden, and even though my dad played for Cameroon, he said: ‘We support you.’”

 

In his eight U21 appearances for Sweden, Elanga has scored seven goals. Tomorrow, both his parents will be at Friends Arena as a new chapter begins in a story that’s already rich with meaning—despite being so short.

 

That chapter will be written in blue and yellow.

 

“For me, there was never any doubt. I was born in Sweden, I’ve spent 75 percent of my life here. Sweden means a lot to me—in my heart.”

 

 

[sushimonster85]

1 hour ago, SweMag said:

Here is an interview with Anthony Elanga from 2022, translated from Swedish. Enjoy! 

 

With every word Anthony Elanga says—every life step he recounts—it’s as if the corners of his mouth conquer a new part of his face that just moments ago seemed out of reach.
 

“From Borås… to England… to Manchester United… to the first team… to the national team…”
 

Now his cheeks are smiling, his eyes are smiling, even his forehead is smiling. It’s impossible to imagine a more radiant 19-year-old.

 

Anthony Elanga is in the midst of his first days as a senior national team player. Since the team is still in a pandemic bubble, we’re doing the interview digitally rather than in person—but this is a joy that bursts through both distance and screens.

 

This is a joy that’s felt, that’s contagious, that inspires.

 

“If 11-year-old Anthony had written this as an essay in school in Borås… I never would’ve believed it was possible. It still feels crazy when I think about it.”

 

When Zlatan Ibrahimović was 19, he was fighting for a foothold at Ajax. At the same age, Fredrik Ljungberg played for Halmstad, and Henrik Larsson was in Division III with Högaborg.

 

In all of Swedish football history, it’s hard—maybe even impossible—to find a teenager who’s achieved as much on such big stages as Anthony Elanga.

 

He’s established himself at one of the world’s biggest clubs, in the planet’s most high-profile league. He’s scored in everything from stormy battles at Elland Road to glittering nights at Wanda Metropolitano.

 

In many ways, it feels like Elanga already belongs to another galaxy—he’s in that stratosphere where ordinary football doesn’t reach—but as soon as he starts talking, it’s clear there’s still a lot of the small-town Swedish kid left in him.

 

Before moving to Manchester, Elanga lived in Limmared, a quiet old glassblowing village with just over 1,000 residents, where the plains of Västergötland give way to the forests of Småland.

 

He had previously lived in various parts of Borås—on Marklandsgatan, in Trandared—and it was in that city that his football life first took shape. He can still talk in detail about matches with Elfsborg’s under-8 team, with teammate Besfort Zeneli beside him and coach “Jocke” on the sidelines.

 

“I wonder if Jocke remembers me...? I remember him, at least. I have so many good memories from Elfsborg.”

 

Everything changed in 2013, when Elanga was 11. He moved to England with his mother and two sisters, leaving behind the safety and friends of home.

 

“I was pretty sad, felt like I’d miss all my friends. But three days before we moved, my mom threw a big farewell party. She bought pizza for everyone on my Elfsborg team. It was like: ‘Thank you so much for everything, we’ll miss you.’ And my teammates signed a T-shirt and gave it to me. I still have that shirt in England. I’ve kept it—it means a lot to me.”

 

After scoring his first Premier League goal—against Wolverhampton in the season finale—he dedicated the success to his mother Daniella and spoke about the obstacles they had to overcome.

 

“She knows how hard it was when we first came here. One day she’ll write a book or make a documentary about it.”

 

Starting over at 11 isn’t easy. It can feel like beginning from scratch—like nothing you’ve learned or achieved counts anymore.

 

“The first year was really, really hard. First, the language… Even though we’d studied some English in school, it was completely different being in the country. At first, I mostly talked to other kids who also didn’t speak English well. Everything felt different. They wear school uniforms, and they’re very strict about what you can and can’t do.”

 

Why did you move?

 

“To change our lifestyle. My mom knew there were many more opportunities in England—not just for football, but for my sisters too. A month before we moved, she went to England to check things out, and I think she had already made up her mind. We were moving. ‘This is the right place for my children.’”

 

How did it feel for you?

 

“Mom always said: ‘The opportunities are in England.’ I trusted her. I just thought: ‘This is what’s happening now.’ I left everything in Sweden behind—I focused only on England. And the rest is history.”

 

The initial confusion faded quickly, because Elanga had a clear path into his new life. He didn’t understand the grading system or the Mancunian dialect—but he could play football.

 

And that’s often enough.

 

“I just looked forward to recess, because then I could play football. I couldn’t speak English, but I always say football is a language too. And I could speak that. I could communicate with the ball at my feet.”

 

After just a few recesses, his classmates realized a new opportunity had arrived. The school team had an away match coming up, and here was a sensational new addition. They went straight to the PE teacher and asked him to find a spot for the new kid.

 

“They asked if I had football boots. I said, ‘No, I’m new here.’ So they gave me a pair that were way too big—probably two sizes too big. But I did well, I think I scored three goals.”

 

One of them is still talked about at that school. You’re said to have stepped up to a free kick and declared you’d shoot like Cristiano Ronaldo—and then you did.

 

“It’s crazy how it happened… We got a free kick, and I said I’d shoot like Ronaldo. And then… yeah, the ball went in. Just like I said.”

 

Since the family lived in Hyde—a fairly poor suburb on Manchester’s eastern edge—Elanga was advised to join the local club Hyde United.

 

One rainy Wednesday evening, he and his mother took the bus to find the training ground, but when they arrived, they couldn’t find the team.

 

“It was raining, and we didn’t have umbrellas or anything. We asked a man where Hyde United was, but he said we’d come on the wrong day—they trained on Fridays. We didn’t know what to do, but the man said we could train with his team instead. They were called Hattersley United. The players were two years older than me, but I took the opportunity. I started playing with Hattersley, and both the coaches and players were great to me. I’m still in touch with them.”

 

In 14 matches for Hattersley United’s U13 team, 11-year-old Elanga scored 17 goals and made 27 assists. Word spread quickly across Manchester. In one of the world’s most intense football cities, there are few secrets—few undiscovered gems—and here it was as if a raw diamond had just fallen from the sky.

 

Shortly after his 12th birthday, Elanga was invited to trial with both Manchester City and Manchester United.

 

“City came first. In England, they have six-week trial periods. I was at City for five weeks, but the last week I went to United. And after just one week, they wanted me to stay. I felt really, really good there from day one.”

 

This was summer 2014—right when City had started winning and United had stopped.

 

“I talked it over with my mom and dad, and they also thought United was the right club for me. We knew they always gave chances to young players, and at that time their academy was really top-notch. In my heart, it was always United.”

 

When Elanga looks way back, he remembers falling for a young Leo Messi—“a little guy with long hair and number 30 on his back.” He was only four when Messi changed numbers at Barcelona, and later he became more and more drawn to Thierry Henry. But despite his admiration for global stars, his first and greatest football hero was, of course, his own father.

 

Joseph Elanga earned 17 caps for Cameroon and was part of the 1998 World Cup squad. Anthony was born too late to witness that, but at age eight he saw his father win another Swedish championship with Malmö FF.

 

“I remember that really clearly. I was there with my mom and sister, at the victory dinner and everything. I still follow the Allsvenskan, and the team I support is Malmö—my dad’s team.”

 

He also credits his mother—who played football herself—with passing on talent: “She was technically skilled, had a really, really good left foot, and was fast even though she was small.” But he’s especially grateful for having a father who played professionally.

 

Most of all, it gave him an understanding of what it really takes to succeed. Elanga developed a mindset and attitude early on that set him apart.

 

“People say it’s my speed or my technique—but I think my greatest weapon is my mentality.”

 

Is that what explains how far you’ve come, so early?

 

“Yes. A lot of people tell me that, and I’ve always said it myself—there’s a big difference between my mentality and that of other young players. If you told other young players to go through the journey I’ve been on—I don’t think many would succeed. But my dad played in a World Cup. He knows what it takes to reach the top level, and he instilled that in me early. I’ve had this mentality since I was young. When we had six weeks off in the summer, I still trained. I don’t like sitting around watching TV—I like to run. I’m very thankful to have had a dad with that mentality, and that he passed it on to me.”

 

In Sweden, we often talk about players still being unfinished at 22 or 23. You were professional about your football already at 12 or 13.

 

“There are many more Swedish talents who will come out of the shadows. They just need to take risks, step out of their comfort zones, maybe move abroad. But in two or three years—there will be more, more, more talent coming from Sweden… I know it. If you work hard, if you focus on what’s in front of you—anything is possible.”

 

After two Premier League starts and a goal late last spring, Elanga saw this as the season he would truly break through. Once again, he did his own preseason training before Manchester United’s official one began. But three months into the season, he had only played 17 minutes of first-team football—in the League Cup.

 

Elanga is deeply grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjær—“he gave me my debut, and I’ll always appreciate him”—but it’s no exaggeration to say his career took off when the Norwegian was replaced by Ralf Rangnick.

 

Overnight—after just one training session—all talk of a loan move to a Championship club or a lower Premier League side disappeared. Rangnick is a man who trusts his football instincts, and what he saw was clear.

 

Anthony Elanga was ready. Strip away the names and reputations, and he wasn’t just a promising youngster—he was one of the best attacking players in Manchester United’s entire squad.

 

“It clicked between me and Ralf right away. The kind of person I am… I like to work hard—not just on the pitch, but off it too. I like asking questions, I like listening. And Ralf can explain how I can improve—and that’s what I really like about him. That’s what’s going to help me.”

 

The months that followed were a whirlwind. Since the turn of the year, Elanga played in every match for Manchester United. Success followed success, milestone after milestone—but when asked about the most powerful moment from this period, Elanga chooses to talk about his one major personal failure.

 

In the FA Cup match against Middlesbrough, 15 players scored their penalties. Anthony Elanga was the only one who missed.

 

“For me, that’s actually the strongest feeling, the biggest lesson. Before that, everything was just going up. Starting against Aston Villa. Starting and scoring against Brentford. Starting against West Ham. It was all up, up—but a football career will always have ups and downs. So it was good that it happened. I’m not saying I wanted to miss, but it was useful for me to feel that.”

 

But if you’re a bit kinder to yourself—when has the joy been the greatest?

 

“Atlético Madrid, for sure. Scoring against a big European club in the Champions League… You know, I was on the bench, and I wanted to come on and show what I could do. So when Ralf told me to go in and do my thing, I was fully focused. When he said, ‘Anthony, you’re going in’—I already knew.”

 

As everyone knows, Anthony Elanga has already become a fan favorite at Old Trafford, a hero to Manchester United’s traveling supporters. His teenage years in Hyde make the Reds see him as one of their own, and this spring, no chant has been sung with more enthusiasm than “Rhythm Is a Dancer – Anthony Elanga.”

 

“It’s incredible. I remember being 13 and going to Old Trafford for the first time. Everyone was singing Wayne Rooney’s song. They sang for Carrick and ‘Fletch’, and… To come out now and hear my name… I can’t describe how it feels. It’s hard to understand.”

 

As he speaks, Elanga’s face changes. There’s something about that chant that moves him, that truly touches him. In a way, it’s proof that he and his family made it—that they arrived.

 

“My mom took a big risk when we moved—but you have to take risks to reach the highest level. And here we are now.”

 

The last winter before he moved, Elanga’s home country played against the country he was about to move to. Sweden’s new national stadium was inaugurated, and a tall guy in the home team scored four goals.

 

“I remember it so clearly. ‘Ibra’ scored four goals and a bicycle kick, and… That’s when I knew. ‘I want to play for Sweden too, I want to score goals like that.’ That same night, I ran straight outside and tried to do the same thing. My mom said, ‘Where are you going? Look how late it is! Come inside, come inside!’ But I just said, ‘No, I’m going to do a bicycle kick like Zlatan did.’”

 

Today, Anthony Elanga speaks fluent English with a distinct Manchester accent. It’s in England that he became an elite player—it’s where he gained financial security and boundless fan love—and in a way, it would’ve been easy to understand if he had chosen to represent the larger, more resource-rich football nation.

 

But that was never on the table. Of course, the English FA made repeated approaches, but each time they got the same answer.

 

Anthony Elanga had already made up his mind. No matter how long he lives in England, he will always be Swedish—and that’s the national team he wants to represent.

 

“As soon as we started talking about it in the family, I told them: ‘Sweden is my choice, it’s my dream to play for Sweden.’ My mom also wanted me to play for Sweden, and even though my dad played for Cameroon, he said: ‘We support you.’”

 

In his eight U21 appearances for Sweden, Elanga has scored seven goals. Tomorrow, both his parents will be at Friends Arena as a new chapter begins in a story that’s already rich with meaning—despite being so short.

 

That chapter will be written in blue and yellow.

 

“For me, there was never any doubt. I was born in Sweden, I’ve spent 75 percent of my life here. Sweden means a lot to me—in my heart.”

 

I'll wait for @The College Dropout paragraph by paragraph rebuttal before taking it all in. Not reading it twice like. 

[The College Dropout]

I’m not reading that like. 
 

I’ve taken it he’s a nice hard working lad.  Great. 

 

 

Edited July 2, 2025 by The College Dropout

[Hanshithispantz]

Quote

Now his cheeks are smiling, his eyes are smiling, even his forehead is smiling. It’s impossible to imagine a more radiant 19-year-old.

[Andy84]

Based on nowt I think he’s signing for us 

[Gawalls]

4 minutes ago, Andy84 said:

Based on nowt I think he’s signing for us 

Notts Forrest want to keep him, he’s got the same length on his contract as Isak, they don’t need the money - we’re not getting him in my opinion, I just can’t see them selling and I don’t understand why we spend so much energy sniffing around players not for sale.

[SteV]

2 minutes ago, Gawalls said:

Notts Forrest want to keep him, he’s got the same length on his contract as Isak, they don’t need the money - we’re not getting him in my opinion, I just can’t see them selling and I don’t understand why we spend so much energy sniffing around players not for sale.

Everyone’s for sale. It’s just at what price.

[Gawalls]

4 minutes ago, SteV said:

Everyone’s for sale. It’s just at what price.

Not what we offer he’s not.