When Elton Kabangu arrived to Hearts for his club medical, it could not have been a simple procedure.
He appears to be in excellent physical condition. Indeed, he exemplifies health. The 26-year-old striker is excited to make his debut for his new club against Aberdeen on Sunday afternoon. But that initial meeting, as he rattled off the list of strains, knocks, and pulled muscles that every player experiences over their career, could have taken an unexpected and dramatic turn. Imagine a club doctor staring over his or her half-moon spectacles, wondering if there was anything else that was pertinent and worth mentioning. “Oh, yes,” is the response. “I was once in a coma for 14 days.”
Kabangu is no ordinary footballer. His is not an ordinary story. The preceding interaction is obviously fictitious, but the player’s catastrophic medical situation was all too real five years ago, when he succumbed to a particularly severe case of Covid-19 while playing for Willem II in the Netherlands. At first, the symptoms appeared minor and normal. Many people will recall symptoms such as loss of taste and aching muscles. But then he began coughing up blood. Kabangu found himself in intensive care at a hospital in his native Belgium, with his lungs prompting special worry.
In a story in a Belgian newspaper, he remembers his mother looking at him through the window (she was not permitted because he was isolating himself). “I could feel her fear through the window,” he recalls. He subsequently fell into a coma.
Kabangu recounted all of this to four newspaper journalists in Edinburgh earlier this week. Slack-jawed is the term. This was not what we expected to hear when we were promised a few minutes with a new signing. It rarely gets more meaningful than cliches like “I’m glad to be here.” And yet, here we were talking about a footballer’s near-fatal injury.
“14 days. Two weeks. When asked about the coma, he replied, “Yeah, it’s quite something.” “When I woke up and comprehended everything that had transpired, it was difficult. But for two weeks, I had no idea what was going on. It was more challenging for my family.I feel awful for them since they had to go through this era.”
He credits his faith for helping him get through. “I never doubted since I am religious and believe in God. It had to be like this. I believe in God. Every experience in my life has made me stronger, including Covid-19.
“I had my family, and I had God,” he explained. “It (Covid-19) strengthened me.” It transformed me into the person I am today. Sometimes in life, you have fights that you must attempt to win.”
He undoubtedly won this one, however the troubles did not end there. After going through what he did, one might believe that getting dumped by a football team isn’t the end of the world. He left Willem II to join the Brussels-based Union Saint-Gilloise. The club has been at the forefront of Brighton owner Tony Bloom’s sports data revolution. Of course, Hearts has reached an agreement with Jamestown Analytics, Bloom’s sports data research organisation. Kabangu’s arrival is certainly the result of this partnership, and he clearly performed well when the Hearts coaching team programmed in what they were hoping for. Not that it benefited him at Union SG, where he lost his position. What happened? “A concurrence of things,” the appealing and articulate Kabangu explained. “Injuries and the decision of the coach. I did not have the game time that I wanted. From there on I need to move forwards and think about myself and my career.”
Moving forward, I’ve joined Hearts on loan. He has another year left on his deal with Union SG, so who knows what the future holds. His pedigree is beyond question. He was a frequent goal scorer in the Netherlands, playing for FC Eindhoven and Willem II. As it stands, he merely wants to get back into the game after falling out of favour at Union SG despite contributing to two championship wins.
“I haven’t played many games this season…”But I’m ready,” he said. Arnaud Djoum, his Union SG teammate, pushed him to follow up on Hearts’ interest. Throughout his four-year stint at Tynecastle, the midfielder was a fan favourite.
“He talked very positively and everything he said until now has been true!” Kabangu joked. “He informed me that his best years were at Hearts. ‘If you perform well here, you will be loved,’ he promised.”
What can he contribute to a Hearts squad that, while not struggling as much as they did earlier this season, is still in risk of losing at Pittodrie, where they have not won since 2016. “I bring speed!” he exclaimed, and it was easy to image the Hearts fans’ jubilation upon hearing this news. “Goals, for sure. That is what I am here for. Assists too.”
Gorgie will have a new hero if he can deliver on all of this. Lawrence Shankland, the most recent hero, has seen his reputation dwindle as the goals have dried up. Perhaps the introduction of a player with true speed and apparent finishing ability is exactly what the captain needs to spark him into life when he returns from injury
“I want to be important,” Kabangu stated. “If I want to be important, I need to accept responsibility in these instances. I don’t think I need to support him because he’s an excellent player and the team’s captain. I believe I can help the squad, but not him. I don’t think he needs my help. He has a name, and he has done extremely well in recent seasons. I’ll aid the team, and Shankland is here.”
For the time being, that is the situation. while for Kabangu, he is content to be wherever while God’s purpose for him unfolds in surprising ways.
