BALI MUMBA

Born: 08 October 2001

1. Came from: Norwich City   Went to: Norwich City

1. First game: 30 July 2022   Last game: 07 May 2023

2. Came from: Norwich City   Went to:

2. First game: 05 August 2023   Last game: 14 December 2024

Appearances: 115 (96/19)   Goals: 9

Mumba joined his new teammates at Home Park in mid-July 2022 on a season-long loan from Norwich City, to become Argyle's fourth signing of the summer.

Born in South Shields, the highly rated full-back began his football at nearby Sunderland at the age of 8. His progress through the ranks at the Stadium of Light was rewarded in his teenage years with selection for England at all levels from under 16 to 19. He made his senior debut as an 87th minute substitute on the last day of the 2017-18 Championship season, aged just 16. Six months later, he signed his first professional contract and was involved with the Black Cats' first team squad over the following two years, as well as playing regularly for the under-23 side. In all, he made ten first-team appearances for Sunderland, including a late substitution at Home Park in November 2018.

In early March 2020, Mumba was loaned to his hometown club, South Shields, to gain regular first team experience, only for the Northern Premier League season to be cut short three weeks later because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still only 18, he was snapped up by Norwich City that summer, and in his first two seasons at Carrow Road made ten first-team appearances, including 45 minutes in a Premier League match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium and an EFL Cup game at home to Liverpool.

Mumba spent the second half of the 2021-22 season on loan at Peterborough United, playing 13 times for the Championship side and scoring his first senior goal on his Posh debut.

A step-down to League One when he agreed a season-long loan at Home Park might have seemed a backward step, but Mumba, still only 20, was impressed with Home Park, the Club and its fans, saying: "It looks like the right club for me to look to develop and push on. It's a step that I need." Manager Steven Schumacher added: "Bali Mumba will add pace, directness and excitement to our right wing-back department this season. The physical demands required in that area of the pitch for us are immense, so having real competition now on both sides will improve our chances."

Mumba proved to be an inspired signing and he played a pivotal part in Argyle's League One title-winning team of 2022-23, with his exceptional dribbling skills and energy seeing him score six goals in 47 games. He won the EFL Young Player of the Month for September 2022 and by the season-end swept the board, winning the EFL League One Young Player of the Season and was also named in the EFL League One Team of the Season. He was also named Argyle's Young Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season by his peers at the club.

It was therefore with natural heartbreak that he returned to his parent club once the season's celebrations had ended and he started back pre-season training with Norwich City. However, in a week to remember for Argyle fans (and in a move few saw coming), in July 2023, Mumba returned on a permanent basis, signing a four-year contract with the club for a reported £1 million transfer fee - equalling the club's all-time record fee that was paid to sign Morgan Whittaker earlier that same week.