A former Newcastle United disappointment has resurfaced in football after a seven-year hiatus.
In the realm of football, tales of triumphant returns often captivate fans, whether it’s a star player netting a crucial goal after a lengthy injury spell or a veteran rejoining their childhood club after an extended absence.
However, instances of players taking prolonged sabbaticals from the game are rare. Yet, a recent development has emerged that defies this norm.
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, formerly associated with Newcastle United, has reemerged onto the football scene, a staggering seven years since his last competitive match. The French defender made his mark on Tyneside following a £7 million transfer in 2013, joining Alan Pardew’s squad after ascending through the ranks at Montpellier.
Yet, Yanga-Mbiwa’s tenure at St James’ Park was underwhelming, prompting a move to Roma on loan just 18 months later, which later became permanent.
During his stint, he amassed 37 appearances in the Premier League for Newcastle and started 22 games in Serie A for Roma before returning to his homeland with Lyon in 2015.
During his five-year stint with Lyon, the French international featured in 72 matches before parting ways with the club in 2020, having spent three years without seeing any action. Now, seven years since his last competitive outing—a 4-1 French cup loss to his former club Montpellier
At the age of 34, he inked a deal with FC Istres, a club competing in the Championnat National 3, Groupe A, the fifth tier of French football.
Based in the vicinity of Marseille in Southern France, Istres currently leads their division, having amassed 29 points from the initial 13 fixtures of the season.
In his debut for Istres, Yanga-Mbiwa played a pivotal role in their 2-0 victory over Lucciana, propelling his new team to a four-point advantage over Montpellier B at the summit of the table.
