Marc Bola
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Marc Joel Bola[1] | ||
Date of birth | [2] | 9 December 1997||
Place of birth | Greenwich, England | ||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Left back | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Samsunspor | ||
Number | 16 | ||
Youth career | |||
Arsenal | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2016–2018 | Arsenal | 0 | (0) |
2017 | → Notts County (loan) | 13 | (0) |
2017–2018 | → Bristol Rovers (loan) | 18 | (0) |
2018–2019 | Blackpool | 35 | (2) |
2019–2023 | Middlesbrough | 96 | (2) |
2020 | → Blackpool (loan) | 6 | (0) |
2023– | Samsunspor | 26 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 September 2024 |
Marc Joel Bola (born 9 December 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left back for Süper Lig club Samsunspor.
Early and personal life
[edit]Bola grew up supporting Arsenal, the team he started his professional career at.[3] He is of Congolese descent.[4][5]
Career
[edit]Arsenal
[edit]Born in London Borough of Greenwich, Bola joined Arsenal Academy when he was 13 after being spotted playing Sunday league football and at 16, he earned a scholarship.[6] After progressing through the ranks, he was promoted to the reserve side.[7] At the reserve side, Bola became a regular there and scored his first goal for the reserve side on 9 March 2016, in a 3–3 draw against Fulham U23.[8][9]
Bola turned professional with Arsenal in April 2016.[10][11]
Bola moved on loan to Notts County in January 2017.[12] He made his Notts County debut on 4 February 2017, where he played 53 minutes, in a 2–0 loss against Accrington Stanley, and went on to make 13 appearances for the side before returning to his parent club at the end of the season.[13]
In July 2017, he signed a season-long loan deal with Bristol Rovers.[14] Bola made his Bristol Rovers debut on 16 September 2017, in a 3–0 loss against Wigan Athletic.[15][16]
Blackpool
[edit]He was released by Arsenal at the end of the 2017–18 season.[17] Following his release he signed for Blackpool on a one-year contract.[18] He was sent off in September 2018, but the club appealed to the FA who overruled it and rescinded the three-match ban.[19]
Middlesbrough
[edit]Bola joined Middlesbrough on 28 July 2019 for an undisclosed fee.[20] He scored on his debut for Middlesbrough in an EFL Cup tie against Crewe Alexandra on 13 August 2019.[21] On 10 January 2020 he returned to Blackpool on loan until the end of the 2019–20 season.[22]
Samsunspor
[edit]On 9 July 2023, Bola signed for Turkish Süper Lig side Samsunspor for an undisclosed fee.[23]
Controversy
[edit]In September 2021, Bola was officially charged with "aggravated misconduct" by the FA for posting a tweet that "made a reference to sexual orientation" nine years ago, at the age of 14.[24]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of 30 April 2022
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Arsenal | 2016–17[13] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2017–18[16] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Notts County (loan) | 2016–17[13] | League Two | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
Bristol Rovers (loan) | 2017–18[16] | League One | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 23 | 0 |
Blackpool | 2018–19[25] | League One | 35 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 43 | 2 |
Middlesbrough | 2019–20[26] | Championship | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
2020–21[27] | 41 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 1 | ||
2021–22[28] | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | ||
Total | 71 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 3 | ||
Blackpool (loan) | 2019–20[26] | League One | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Career total | 143 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 160 | 5 |
- ^ a b Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy.
Playing style
[edit]Bola plays primarily as a left back, but can also play as a centre back and a striker.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "Notification of shirt numbers: Middlesbrough" (PDF). English Football League. p. 42. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ^ a b "Profile". 11v11. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
- ^ a b "Marc Bola Features". Arsenal F.C. 8 January 2016. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ "Arsenal Super Kid Bola Clarifies : I Am Not Eligible To Play For Nigeria:: All Nigeria Soccer – The Complete Nigerian Football Portal". www.allnigeriasoccer.com.
- ^ "Football des jeunes : la RDC U20 joue en amical contre l'Angleterre junior – adiac-congo.com : toute l'actualité du Bassin du Congo". www.adiac-congo.com.
- ^ "Marc Bola on his time at Arsenal, initiation songs, Bristol Rovers debut and adapting to League One". Bristol Post. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
- ^ "Profile". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
- ^ "U-21s: Fulham 0–3 Arsenal – Match report". Arsenal F.C. 9 March 2016. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ "Who is new Bristol Rovers signing Marc Bola? What we know about the Arsenal defender". Bristol Post. 15 July 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ Sean Kearns (7 April 2016). "Marc Bola signs new contract with Arsenal to stay at the Emirates". Metro. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
- ^ "Marc Bola signs new contract". Arsenal F.C. 7 April 2016. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ "Notts County sign Jorge Grant, Marc Bola and Josh Clackstone on loan". BBC Sport. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
- ^ a b c "Games played by Marc Bola in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
- ^ "Marc Bola: Arsenal youngster joins Bristol Rovers on season-long loan". BBC Sport. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "How Arsenal loanee Marc Bola has grabbed his chance with Bristol Rovers". Bristol Post. 29 September 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
- ^ a b c "Games played by Marc Bola in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
- ^ "Premier League clubs publish released lists". Premier League. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- ^ "lackpool sign Oldham defender Ryan McLaughlin and ex-Arsenal left-back Marc Bola". BBC Sport. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
- ^ "Blackpool: Marc Bola ban lifted but Donervon Daniels red card upheld". BBC Sport. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
- ^ Marc Bola: "Middlesbrough sign Blackpool defender" – BBC Sport, 28 July
- ^ "Middlesbrough 2–2 Crewe". BBC. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "Marc Bola: Blackpool re-sign left-back on loan from Middlesbrough". BBC Sport. 10 January 2020.
- ^ "Defender Bola leaves Boro for Samsunspor". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
- ^ "Marc Bola: Middlesbrough defender charged by FA over nine-year-old social media post". BBC Sport. 4 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ "Games played by Marc Bola in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
- ^ a b "Games played by Marc Bola in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ "Games played by Marc Bola in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ "Games played by Marc Bola in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- 1997 births
- Living people
- English men's footballers
- English people of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent
- Sportspeople of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent
- Arsenal F.C. players
- Notts County F.C. players
- Bristol Rovers F.C. players
- Blackpool F.C. players
- Middlesbrough F.C. players
- English Football League players
- Men's association football fullbacks
- Black British sportsmen
- Footballers from the Royal Borough of Greenwich
- Samsunspor footballers
- English expatriate men's footballers
- English expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
- Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey
- 21st-century English sportsmen