Steven N’Zonzi began his footballing journey with Amiens in the French second tier. In his second season, he established himself as a key member of the team that was relegated to the third division. The relegation paved the way for his move to Blackburn Rovers. He established himself as a key member of Sam Allardyce’s side. However, Blackburn’s relegation in 2012 saw Steven move to Stoke City where he played for three seasons before moving to Sevilla. In Seville he was able to prove himself as one of the best defenders in the country.

Born name

Steven N’Kemboanza Mike Nzonzi

nickname

Steven

Sun sign

Protect

Place of birth

La Garenne Colombes, France

nationality

training

Steven N’Zonzi began his football journey at hometown club Renn in Paris . He later moved to Paris St. Germain academy development .

occupation

Professional soccer player

family

• Father – Fidele N’Zonzi
• mother – unknown
• Siblings – unknown

Manager

Steven N’Zonzi is represented by his father Fidele N’Zonzi.

Position

Defensive midfielder

Shirt Number

15 – SC Amiens, Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City, Sevilla FC, France National Team

42 – AS Roma

To build

Athletic

Height

6 feet 5 inches or 195.5 cm

weight

83 kg or 183 lbs

girlfriend/spouse

Steven N’Zonzi dated –

1. Lynda (2013-2016) – In October 2013, Stevenzu married Lynda. They had been together for quite some time. In 2015 she gave birth to her son Arden. However, their marriage did not last long after the birth of their son. In October he had to stand trial for assaulting his wife. She had claimed he brutalized her in front of her son and threatened to punch her in the face. However, he claimed he grabbed her to keep her from coming to him. He was cleared of all charges in December. In January 2016, they were granted a quick divorce.

race/ethnicity

multiracial

On his mother’s side, he has French ancestry. While siding with his father, he is of Congolese descent.

hair colour

Schwarz

eye color

dark brown

sexual orientation

Just

distinguishing features

Bald

brand promotion

Steven N’Zonzi has an endorsement deal with sportswear giant Nike . Under the terms of the contract, he is required to wear Nike in his pro fights.

Known for

After great performances with the Spanish side, Sevilla FC . During his time at the Andalusian club he managed to establish himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in La Liga. He also managed to win a UEFA Europa League with the club.

First football game

In November 2007, he made his professional debut with French club, Amiens , in a Coupe de France match against amateur club AS Raismes. He was sent off in the 74th minute to give his side a 7-0 win.

In September 2012 Steven made his first appearance for Stoke City in a Premier League home game against Manchester City. He was declared “man of the match” in his team’s 1–1 draw.

In August 2015, he made his debut for Sevilla FC in a La Liga game against Malaga CF. The match ended goalless.

In November 2017, he made his international debut for France against Wales at the Stade de France. He replaced Corentin Tolisso at half-time.

Strengthen

• dogfights
• pass
• Working speed
• serenity
• persistence

weaknesses

He has no obvious weaknesses in his game.

Steven N’Zonzi Facts

1. When he played for the Paris youth system, Saint-Germain used to play as a forward as the coaches felt his size could best be exploited while leading the attacking team. He was later moved to the more attacking midfield position.
2. In 2008 he signed his first professional contract with Amiens . He was also promoted to the senior team.
3. At the start of the 2008/09 season, he was converted to a defensive midfielder. His strong performances for Amiens drew comparisons to Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira.
4. In May 2009, he scored his first professional goal when he scored Amiens’ only goal in their 2–1 loss to Strasbourg.
5. At the end of the 2008–09 season, Amiens was relegated to the French third tier, making his move from the club inevitable. He was linked with a move to English Premier League clubs – Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth.
6. In June 2009 Rovers paid a fee of £650,000 to secure the transfer. N’Zonzi signed a 4-year contract with the new club.
7. In October 2009 he scored his first goal for Blackburn Rovers in a 6–2 win over Arsenal.
8. At the end of his debut season with Rovers, he was voted Blackburn Rovers Player of the Year by the club’s supporters.
9. In August 2010 he signed a contract extension with Blackburn which extended his stay at the club for a further 5 years.
10. In April 2011, he received the first red card of his career when he was sent off for a two-foot tackle against Laurent Koscielny against Arsenal. He was also handed a four-game ban.
11. In November 2011, he was slapped with violent behavior charges after punching Ryan Shawcross in the face. He admitted the charges and subsequently received 3 match bans.
12. In July 2015, Sevilla paid a £7million transfer fee to sign him from Stoke City. The English club had tried to tie him down with a new deal but Steven turned down the contract extension, forcing City’s hand.
13. After completing his transfer, he signed a 4-year contract with the Spanish club. His buyout clause was set at 30 million euros.
14. In August 2018, former Sevilla transfer guru Monchi decided to pay a €26.65m entry fee to bring Steven to his new club.
15. Before being signed to the France national team, he was heavily courted by DR Congo FA. He even received a couple of appearances to play for the national team but he decided to stick it out for the France national team.
16. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.