Enock Mwepu Brighton

#PLStories- Brighton’s Enock Mwepu reveals his plans to stay in football #BHAFC

Enock Mwepu plans to remain in football after announcing his retirement as a player. The Albion midfielder has hung up his boots due to a concerns over a hereditary heart condition. He was a few weeks into his second season with the Seagulls after shining for RB Salzburg. Mwepu, 24, was a sporting hero to many back in Zambia and captained the national team. In a statement released today, he wrote: “A boy from a small Zambian township called Chambishi has some news to share. He stood strong to follow his dream of playing football at the highest level, and by the grace of God he lived his dream by reaching the Premier League. “Some dreams however come to an end, so it is with sadness I announce the need to hang up my boots because of medical advice I have received. This is however not the end of my involvement with football, I plan to stay involved in some capacity. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that supported me in my football journey, including my wife and family, my agent 12MAN, the Zambian FA, all my previous clubs, team-mates and coaches, and especially everyone at Brighton & Hove Albion.”
Enock Mwepu Brighton

#PLStories- Enock Mwepu’s message to Man City target Erling Haaland #MCFC

Enock Mwepu believes former team-mate Erling Haaland can be a hit in the Premier League. The two played together 16 times for Red Bull Salzburg before Haaland progressed to Borussia Dortmund. He is now set to move on with Real Madrid and Manchester City contenders for his signature. Mwepu said: “It has been a while since I spoke with him. “We used to speak regularly but I think he is a good guy. “Hopefully he makes a move to the Premier League. I think it will be interesting to meet a former team-mate who you used to play with but is now on the opposite side. “I think he is courageous enough to come to the Premier League and still score those goals, especially if he joins Manchester City. He can still continue with his goalscoring form.” Mwepu joked: “Maybe I can tell him to join Brighton! “I would tell him to come over to the Premier League. “It is the toughest league, the best league and every game is exciting. So hopefully he will come.”
Graham Potter Brighton

#PLStories- Graham Potter expects injured Albion star Enock Mwepu back shortly #BHAFC

Enock Mwepu's return from injury remains on hold. It is five weeks now since the Zambia captain limped out of FA Cup action at West Brom holding the back of his right thigh. Albion boss Graham Potter said: “We were half-expecting to get him back this week but he had a little bit of a setback - or sideways move. “I’m expecting next week he should be there. “It was not quite a tweak but it was not really serious. LEANDRO TROSSARD HAILED AS 'UNIQUE' BRIGHTON TALENT “I think we have gone on the side of caution in trying to get him back fit and well as best we can and he has made progress. “We are at the point now where he is not far away from the training with the group.”
Enock Mwepu Brighton

#PLStories- Graham Potter provides Enock Mwepu update after injury setback at West Brom #BHAFC

Graham Potter has played down injury concerns over Enock Mwepu. Mwepu appeared to be their one injury setback from the FA Cup tie at West Brom. He left the action after half an hour holding the back of his right thigh and will be further assessed today. INTERVIEW - ENOCK MWEPU ON THE NINKUMONA Potter said after the game: “I don’t think it’s too serious with the caveat that I have just come from the changing rooms. NEAL MAUPAY CUP CALL PAYS OFF “He didn’t feel anything go, it was more tightness I think, so fingers crossed for the next 24 to 48 hours. “I think it was more precaution that he came off.”
Enock Mwepu Brighton

#PLStories- Enock Mwepu gives insight to his passes and goals for Brighton #BHAFC

And it is one which has helped him contribute to three goals since Christmas Day. Mwepu does a few different things in various areas around a football pitch. But, as he starts to grow and express himself, we are seeing more of what he dubbed the ‘Ninkumona’ pass when he developed the skill as a young player in Zambia. Premier League fans have seen it in full effect on two of the recent goals he has helped create for team-mates. Mwepu is suddenly joint top of the Albion assist chart with three in the league. As often in football, ‘assist’ is an imperfect stat. Alexis Mac Allister’s delivery helped Dan Burn score at Everton just as much as Mwepu’s flick. And there was plenty still for Leandro Trossard and Mac Allister to do when they scored against Brentford and Everton respectively. But the disguised passes left them in room – and they knew they would be spotted, even though he was looking the other way. Mwepu told The Argus: “Ninkumona means ‘I’ve seen you’. “In Zambia I used to assist a lot playing in the under-17s, under-20s. “I named it that. If you see the goal against Brentford and also in Cardiff (by Jakub Moder), such passes are the ones that show the Ninkumona. “It’s the sort of pass that comes from nowhere, where people don’t expect it. “Those are the moments when I look at the movement of my teammate and I try to make that pass and it just astonishes everybody. “It was from way back when I was in the under-20s, even younger.” Mwepu delighted fans with his subtle little lay-off of Trossard’s low cross to tee up Mac Allister at Goodison. It looked better the more you watched it. He said: “When I saw Leo have the ball, I got in my position and so many people said I didn’t even look at Alexis. “But before Leo played the ball to me I saw he was in a good position to shoot so when the ball was coming, I just had to lay it off. “I had to think about how to lay it off to him and that was the only way I could do it - and I think it worked!” Mwepu accepts he is flying the flag for his country, along with Leicester striker Patson Daka. The arrival of both – in the run-up to an election - saw the nation’s president and main political rival issue well-wishing tweets. Mwepu says he does not feel additional pressure and responsibility because of it. He added: “I think for me it is just pride. “Even the president wrote me a message, it is pride that I represent the country “I think everyone is happy at what I have achieved and that is something amazing for me.” Predecessors from Zambia have not been such big hits in the Prem so what does Mwepu see as a key reason for his early impact in a tough league? He said: “I think it is the discipline aspect and the mentality. “I am very disciplined in what I do. “I always want to act professional and I always have the right mentality in most of the things that I do. “I try to inspire the Zambians who think they can also achieve great things in football and other aspects. “I jut try to be that icon for them and show them that they can achieve all they want to achieve.” PREMIUM: HOW POTTER AND HUGHTON HAVE RUNG CUP CHANGES Next for Mwepu is the FA Cup. He admits playing in the final – as he watched his favourite team Liverpool do on TV back home - would be a dream. DANNY WELBECK LIKELY TO FACE WEST BROM IN FA CUP (Later he laughs as he says he still watches that goal he scored at Anfield every day.) But cup football has already been important for Mwepu this season, with that performance at Cardiff and a first goal at Leicester. LORENT TOLAJ ON TARGET AGAIN FOR ALBION He said: “For me those games were really important. “We were trying to progress as a team and unfortunately we lost at Leicester. “But for me it gave me more minutes. “I think the confidence was there because of those games.”
Graham Potter Brighton

#PLStories- Graham Potter reveals Brighton’s Enock Mwepu may play a part against Leeds #BHAFC #LUFC

But his playing time in Saturday’s match could be limited. The Zambia international missed recent action for club and country with a muscle issue. Albion boss Graham Potter said: “He has recovered well and trained this week. “We need to see how he is tomorrow but he has got a really good chance of being in the squad. “We will look at his game time in terms of how much he can play, but he’s available.” Steven Alzate has been back out on the grass at the club’s training complex doing some work with the ball. GRAHAM POTTER SPEAKS AHEAD OF BRIGHTON V LEEDS Potter said: “He and Danny [Welbeck] are making really good progress. “The guys are really positive. We will see. “They’re quite lengthy injuries, so I don’t want to put too much of an expectation on them. “Every report I have from the guys is a good one, so we’re hopeful.” Both were expected back in early 2022 although Welbeck was recently reported to be ahead of schedule.
Graham Potter Brighton

#PLStories- Brighton’s #EnockMwepu earns praise from #GrahamPotter #BHAFC

Enock Mwepu has been backed to keep improving after a bright start to life with Albion. The summer signing from Salzburg showed signs of quality and versatility as the Seagulls lost to Getafe. He looks a certain starter when the Premier League season gets under way at Burnley on Saturday. Albion head coach Graham Potter said: “He brings us that little bit of something different. “He hits the box, he can play in numerous positions and we need to find out the best one for us given the game. BUSY NIGHT FOR NEW PREMIER LEAGUE REFEREE AS BRIGHTON PLAY GETAFE “He did really well as a first match here, he scored against Luton, so he will give us a bit of versatility give us some options. “He will get better and we will get better the more he is here with us.”
Enock Mwepu Brighton

#PLStories- Brighton’s #EnockMwepu is ready for the intensity of the Premier League #BHAFC

Brighton's summer signing Enock Mwepu has insisted he is ready to cope with the intensity of playing in the Premier League. The 23-year-old midfielder joined the Seagulls last week from Austrian giants Red Bull Salzburg. He has been used to intense matches previously when playing for Salzburg in the Champions League. Joel Veltman, who joined Albion last summer, compared the ferocity of the Prem to playing in the Champions League every week. Read more: Joel Veltman believes the intensity of the Premier League is like playing in the 'Champions League every week' But the Zambian international admits he is looking forward to that intensity week-in-week out in the Prem. Speaking the club’s website in his first interview since signing, he said: “That is something I am looking forward to. “I have watched the Premier League quite a lot of times, so I know that week-in-week-out it is so intense, so I am looking forward to that. “For me the Champions League you play one game and the intensity is really high, but here it is like that week-in-week-out from the start of the season to the end. “So, I just want to get fit, get ready in the pre-season and when we start the league for sure I am looking forward to that intensity and will be good to go.” Mwepu also revealed that he already feels at home with the Seagulls after receiving a warm welcome from everyone at the club. He said: “It feels like home already, my teammates have already welcomed me very well and the coaches have welcomed me as well, so I really feel at home already. So I am really happy about it.” He added: “I am trying to remember all the names but Danny (Welbeck), Percy (Tau) and the Lewis (Dunk) the skipper. “They are already trying to have a laugh and a joke with me. “The other day I forgot my shoes because I was going out the training centre and they were like the computer has to do everything at once. So I said sorry its need an upgrade.”