From Poverty In Gambia to the Premier League: Yankuba Minteh Is West Africa’s Breakout Star Of The 2024/25 Season

Four years ago, Yankuba Minteh lived with his parents and shared a room with seven siblings – his nights spent on the cold concrete floor in Bakoteh, The Gambia. Today, the left-winger is on the radar of Europe’s heavyweights following a successful debut season in the English Premier League.

They say life comes at you fast.

For a teenage kid whose love for football began in grade seven, to go from street football to professional football in the English Premier League – all in the space of four years – life comes at you even faster.

On several occasions, Minteh skipped school to play football (much to the displeasure of his parents), but his talent and love for the game were undeniable.

By Grade 11, he made a bold decision to drop out completely to pursue a football career, because football wasn’t just a passion for the young kid – he saw it also as the primary gateway to a better life for himself and his entire family.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

“It was really hard for my parents. My mother sold vegetables in the market, and my dad worked as a chef in a hotel. It was really tough for them. I decided to drop out of school to make football my passion and the thing which could take my parents out of poverty.”

“If you want them to have a good life, you have to sometimes sacrifice your school if you have the football talent to focus on, so that you can make it to Europe. And then you can change your life. There is a lot of sacrifice involved. It’s paying back, but you can never pay your mother back for the stuff she has to go through.”

Minteh’s precocious talent led him to Bakoteh United Football Academy, before he began his professional career with the Gambian first division side, Steve Biko FC.

Unsurprisingly, he didn’t stay long at the three-colored Bakau Giant Killers.

In less than a year, Minteh gained nationwide attention as the “Gambian Messi,” and at just 16, he was invited for a tryout with Danish club Odense BK, after his coach introduced him to Bakary Bojang, an ex-footballer from Gambia now settled in Southern Denmark.

This providential connection would transform the teenager’s life forever.

MOVE TO EUROPE

Bakary Bojang represented Minteh as his agent and requested that Odense BK take a look at the winger alongside fellow Gambian footballer Dawda Darboe.

Both players were flown into Denmark in late 2021 for a tryout, playing for Odense as part of preparation for the upcoming 2021–22 season. But Minteh didn’t leave a good impression and returned to The Gambia with Steve Biko FC.

Fortunately, he got a second chance with the Danish club, and in the summer of 2022, he signed a two-year contract first with Odense’s U19 team, and later that year as a first-team player.

As predicted by Minteh himself, he spent only one year with Odense before being snapped up by Newcastle in June 2023, and loaned immediately to Eredivisie powerhouse Feyenoord for the 2023/24 season.

He flourished on Arne Slot’s side with 10 goals and six assists in 27 appearances for The Pride of South. Still, he had to leave Newcastle upon returning to England, as the Tyne club sought to avoid a possible points deduction for failing to meet the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Brighton & Hove Albion came calling for Minteh in July 2024, and the rest is history.

A DEBUT SEASON TO REMEMBER 

Minteh made an immediate impact during Albion’s pre-season trip to Japan and took that form into his first Premier League season, ending the 2024/25 campaign with six goals and four assists in 32 Premier League appearances.

The Seagulls already had a host of attacking talents in Kaoru Mitoma, Joao Pedro, and fellow West African Simon Adingra, but Minteh brought something different to the team.

At a top speed of 35.38km/hr, the Gambian youngster stood out for his explosiveness on the left wing, as well as his final touch, and was the only Brighton representative among the 50 fastest players in the Premier League last season.

Per Sky Sports, it was Minteh who ranked 4th for attempted dribbles and 11th for the most successful crosses in the league, and he had the highest expected assists per 90 minutes of any Brighton player this season.

Minteh also showed up in big games, too, scoring key goals against Spurs, Chelsea, and his childhood fan club, Manchester United.

The Red Devils are reportedly hot on the winger’s trail, as Liverpool and Arsenal also eye a potential transfer.

NOW TO BUILD UP FOR NEXT SEASON 

“My target was ten goals, ten assists, but I didn’t get that, so I’m not disappointed, although I got six, four assists. It’s not a bad thing. 

“I’ll go for it next season. I said to myself, ‘I want to get ten goals, ten assists,’ which I didn’t achieve. I’ll go home and work hard for next season.”

Although Minteh ranked 11th among Brighton players for league starts, there are aspects of his game that need polishing, particularly his finishing and decision-making in the final third of the pitch.

Eyebrows have also been raised on his discipline and attitude when substituted during games, but this has largely been overlooked due to his juvenile nature.

Minteh is improving with every game on the pitch, and Brighton will be more than pleased with what they’ve seen from the Gambian so far.

Recently, there has been a dearth of young African players in the English League, following notable breakouts from Alex Iwobi, Riyad Mahrez, Christian Atsu, Victor Moses, and, more recently, Amad Diallo.

Yankuba Minteh is here to change this narrative and is West Africa’s breakout star of the 2024/25 season.

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Ivo Okeke

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