Edouard Mendy plays the position of a goalkeeper for Chelsea of the English Premier League and the Senegal national team. Although he features for Senegal, his soccer career began in France where he was born and raised.
Before joining the London club in a reported £22 million contract in September 2020, he previously played for clubs such as Cherbourg, Marseille’s reserves, Reims and Rennes. Since his move to Stamford Bridge, the goalie made his way to the starting lineup immediately and has established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in the EPL. He played a key role in helping the Blues secure a second Champions League title on the backdrop of his records of clean sheets.
He is eligible to play for three countries; Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and France, however, he pitched his tent with Senegal. Here is more about the man who almost quit football.
Early Background of Edouard Mendy
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The goalie was born on the 1st day of March 1992 in Montivilliers, France. The 33 year old’s father is from Guinea-Bissau and his mother from Senegal. While growing up as a little boy, Mendy developed a passion for the game of soccer more than anything else in the world, so, he dreams of becoming a professional in it.
To help achieve this dream, his parents enrolled him at the Le Havre Caucriauville football academy at the age of 7, but some reports say he was 13 when he joined the academy. While at the academy, he wasn’t the club’s first choice, falling behind Zacharie Boucher who was more talented. Because of this, he dropped levels to play with CS Municipaux Le Havre.
The French-born Senegalese goalkeeper began his professional club career at AS Cherbourg, a club that was then playing in the 3rd division of the French league. He stayed in the club until the summer of 2014.
How Edouard Mendy Almost Relinquish His Dream
When Cherbourg released him in 2014, he spent a year without a club. So, he took unemployment benefits in France, and during this same time, his partner became pregnant.
Since his partner was expecting their first baby, it means unemployment support won’t be enough to cater to their needs; he had to look for other ways. At this point, Chelsea’s no. 1 doubts the possibility to continue to play.
During this period, Mendy received a message from his agent to return to Le Havre, the club he trained with when he was young. So, he started training with the club’s reserves every morning, and in the afternoons he either hits the gym or practices shot-stopping with his brother.
The opportunity to join Marseille came up, and he was given a trial which turned out successfully, and became the club’s 4th choice goalkeeper.
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Intriguing Facts No One Told You About Edouard Mendy
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1. Is he related to Ferland Mendy?
Yes, Chelsea’s number one goalie is the cousin brother of and Real Madrid and France national team left-back, Ferland Mendy. His cousin was told he may not play football again at 15, after spending some time in a wheelchair. The only difference between the two is one plays Senegal and the other for France.
2. He tested positive for Covid-19, two days before his AFCON duties begin
On the 8th of January 2021, Mendy was said to have tested positive for Covid-19, with just two days to Senegal’s AFCON opener against Zimbabwe on 10th January. According to reports, it is likely that he would miss the two remaining group stage fixtures against Guinea and Malawi on 14th and 18th January, respectively.
3. He once played for Guinea-Bissau National team
In November 2016, Guinea-Bissau invited Mendy for a friendly encounter with two Portuguese clubs; Belenenses and Estoril. Coincidentally his father was very sick and about to die, so he honored the call for the sake of his father by playing for the Guinea-Bissau national team. Right after that, Guinea-Bissau named him to its squad for the 2017 AFCON, but he rejected the call and pledged his loyalty to Senegal.
4. Is Benjamin Mendy related to him?
Most people think the Senegalese goalie is related to Manchester City’s and France’s defender, Benjamin Mendy, but the truth of the matter is, the pair are not related in any way. The only link Chelsea’s number one shares with the French left-back is that both of them are academy products at Le Havre.
In November 2021, the Senegalese goalkeeper and his cousin Ferland Mendy yelled at French and British media for using their images in stories concerning Benjamin Mendy. Benjamin was facing multiple counts of rape and media publications have used images of the two players.
5. Is he married?
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We are not sure about marital status at the moment, however, there are publications about Mendy’s wife. For instance, there was a report where his wife was said to have hit back at Kepa’s girlfriend for blaming the Senegalese goalkeeper for his misfortune.
On the other hand, he has two handsome boys that he is proud to be their father. Going through his Instagram page, images of him and the two are there.
6. He is earning a pretty from football
The 33 year-old goalkeeper is earning a decent amount of money from his soccer career. At the moment it is difficult to give an exact figure of how much the shot-stopper is worth considering the fact that different sources have given different evaluations.
That being said, he is receiving a fat cheque for Chelsea as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper. Currently, he earns a weekly wage of £52,000 ($70,642) and £2.7 million ($3.6 million) annually. The salary comes from his reported £22 million contract with the club in September 2020.
Asides from his wage, he also earns money through endorsement deals with brands. He currently has a sponsorship deal with Adidas.
7. How tall is he?
The Senegalese goalkeeper is quite tall. He is 6 feet 3 inches (1.94m) and has a bodyweight of 86kg (198lbs). His height and massive body buildup make him a standout figure at the goalpost, no wonder he was nicknamed “Tall Doorkeeper.”
Accolades
The goalie has won a good number of accolades at the country, club, and individual levels. Here they are:
- Ligue 2 winner with Reims (2017/18)
- UEFA Champions League Winner with Chelsea (2020/21)
- UEFA Super Cup Winner with Chelsea (2021)
- FA Cup runner-up with Chelsea (2020/21)
- AFCON runner with Senegal (2019)
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season (2020/21)
- Ghana Football Award Best African International (2021)
- UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season (2020/21)
Complete profile of Edouard Mendy
| Edouard Mendy | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Édouard Osoque Mendy |
| Date of Birth | 1 March 1992 |
| Age | 33 years old |
| Zodiac sign | Pisces |
| Place of Birth | Montivilliers, France |
| Nationality | French, Senegalese |
| Ethnicity | Guinea-Bissau descent |
| Career | Professional Football player |
| Playing Position | Goalkeeper |
| Clubs | 1999–2005 Le Havre Caucriauville 2005–2006 Le Havre 2006–2011 CS Municipaux Le Havre 2011–2014 Cherbourg 2015–2016 Marseille B 2016–2019 Reims 2017 Reims B 2019–2020 Rennes 2020– Chelsea 2018– Senegal |
| Father | Pa Mendy |
| Mother | NA |
| Siblings | NA |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Spouse | NA |
| Girlfriend | NA |
| Children | 2 |
| Religion | Islam |
| Net Worth | NA |
| Source of Income | Football career |
| Height | 6feet 4inches(1.94m) |
| Weight | 86 kg (198lbs) |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Dark Brown |
| Social Media |
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