Kurt Zouma
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Kurt Zouma | |
| |
| Full Name | Kurt Happy Zouma |
| Date of Birth | 27 October 1994 |
| Place of Birth | Lyon, France |
| Position | Centre back Midfielder |
| Chelsea career | 2014 - 2021 |
| Debut | 24 September 2014 |
| Games (goals) | 151 (10) |
| Other clubs | Saint-Étienne Stoke City (loan) Everton West Ham United Al-Orobah |
Kurt Zouma is a French international defender who signed for Chelsea from Saint-Étienne in January 2014. He was loaned back to the French side for the remainder of the 2013-14 season, before joining the Chelsea squad ahead of the 2014-15 season. Primarily a central defender, he also been deployed in defensive midfield by manager José Mourinho. Zouma left Chelsea in 2021, signing a four-year contract with West Ham United.
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Before Chelsea
Saint-Étienne
Born in Lyon, Zouma joined nearby side Saint-Étienne in 2009. He signed his first professional contract in April 2011, while aged 17, and was promoted to the senior squad ahead of the 2011-12 season. He made his debut on 31 August 2011 and went on to make 24 appearances over the course of the season. [1] He went on to consolidate his place in the side over the 2012-13 season, generally starting when fit, and despite incurring a 10 match ban for a reckless tackle in November 2013, his performances had led to recognition as one of the most promising central defenders in Europe. [2] By January 2014 Zouma had been scouted by many of England's top clubs, but stated that a move to Chelsea was his preference, having been contacted by manager José Mourinho in December: "There was advanced contact last month. When a great man like Mourinho calls a little player like Zouma, it's nice. It doesn't happen every day. If you tell me to go to Chelsea, I'll go there immediately."
Chelsea career
Zouma's signing was confirmed on 31 January 2014, Chelsea having paid a reported £12 million for the Frenchman. [3] He was immediately loaned back to Saint-Étienne for the remainder of the season; José Mourinho explaining that waiting until the summer to complete the signing was a risk given the potential competition for the young defender's signature. [4]
2014–15 Season
The young defender joined up with the Chelsea squad ahead of the 2014-15 season and featured in pre-season. He made his first team debut in late September, in a League Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers. He added to an assured display with a first half goal that put his side into the lead; Chelsea eventually winning 2-1. Nominally a central defender, he was used as a defensive midfielder by José Mourinho in the second half of 2014-15, most notably as a starter in the League Cup Final, in which Chelsea were victorious against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. A highly satisfactory first season in west London for the Frenchman was capped with a league-winners medal as the Blues won the Premier League for the first time in five years.
2015–16 Season
Zouma became more of a regular but suffered a major setback in February 2016—a ruptured ACL that ruled him out for the rest of the season and the 2016 European Championship. Up to that point, he had shown signs of maturing into a starting-quality centre-back.
2016–17 Season
Zouma returned from injury mid-season but couldn’t displace the established back three of Luiz, Cahill, and Azpilicueta. He made some appearances late in the campaign and collected a Premier League winners’ medal, though his involvement was limited.
Loans to Stoke City and Everton
Zouma was loaned to Stoke City to regain full match fitness and experience. He played regularly, though the club was relegated from the Premier League. A more successful loan followed at Everton, where Zouma became a fan favourite. He was a key figure in Marco Silva’s side and showed improved consistency, earning calls for a Chelsea return.
2019-20 season
Back at Stamford Bridge, Zouma established himself in a youthful Chelsea team. He often partnered Fikayo Tomori or Andreas Christensen and featured heavily throughout the campaign, helping Chelsea qualify for the Champions League.
2020-21 season
Zouma had a strong first half of the season, scoring a personal-best 5 goals, mostly from set-pieces. However, under Thomas Tuchel he lost his regular starting spot, with Rüdiger and Christensen preferred in the back three. He was on the bench for the Champions League final win over Manchester City.
The Frenchman decided to leave Chelsea in August 2021, agreeing to join West Ham United on a five-year contract.
Statistics
| Season | Club | Prem | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| 2014-15 | Chelsea | 15 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2 |
| 2015-16 | Chelsea | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 2 |
| 2016-17 | Chelsea | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | Stoke City | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | Everton | 32 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2 |
| 2019-20 | Chelsea | 28 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | Chelsea | 24 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 5 |
| 2021-22 | Chelsea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Chelsea | 99 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 151 | 10 |
Correct as of the beginning of the 2021-22 season
Goals
| # | Season | Date | Year | Competition | Opponent | Score | Result | Venue |
| 1 | 2014-15 | 24 September | 2014 | League Cup | Bolton Wanderers | 1-0 | 2-1 | Stamford Bridge |
| 2 | 2014-15 | 4 January | 2015 | FA Cup | Watford | 3-0 | 3-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 3 | 2015-16 | 19 September | 2015 | Premier League | Arsenal | 1-0 | 2-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 4 | 2015-16 | 24 November | 2015 | UEFA Champions League | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 4-0 | 4-0 | Bloomfield Stadium |
| 5 | 2019-20 | 25 September | 2019 | League Cup | Grimsby Town | 4-1 | 7-1 | Stamford Bridge |
| 6 | 2020-21 | 14 September | 2020 | Premier League | Brighton & Hove Albion | 3-1 | 3-1 | the Amex |
| 7 | 2020-21 | 03 October | 2020 | Premier League | Crystal Palace | 2-0 | 4-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 8 | 2020-21 | 31 October | 2020 | Premier League | Burnley | 2-0 | 3-0 | Turf Moor |
| 9 | 2020-21 | 05 December | 2020 | Premier League | Leeds United | 2-1 | 3-1 | Stamford Bridge |
| 10 | 2020-21 | 10 April | 2021 | Premier League | Crystal Palace | 3-0 | 4-1 | Selhurst Park |
International
Zouma had made two Under-21 appearances by the time he signed for Chelsea, and represented his country at every level from Under-16 upwards. He played for France at the 2011 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship and 2011 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, and was a member of France's 2013 FIFA Under-20 World Cup-winning side.
Kurt Zouma began his international career with France in 2015 (against Denmark) and has earned several caps since, primarily as a backup option in a deep defensive lineup. He was part of the squad that won the UEFA Nations League in 2021 but did not feature in major tournaments like the World Cup or Euro as a regular starter. Known for his physical presence and aerial strength, Zouma has remained a rotational figure in France’s national team setup.
Honours
- Saint-Étienne
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2012–13
- Chelsea
- Premier League: 2014-15, 2016-17
- League Cup: 2015
- UEFA Champions League: 2020-21
- UEFA Super Cup: 2021
