Steve Zakuani born 9 February is a Congolese former footballer. Zakuani played for the Arsenal youth academy , but then struggled finding a team.
He attended the University of Akron on a soccer scholarship, excelling as a forward. He quickly became a fan favorite as a winger with the speed and ability to take on opposing defenders. Success continued in with Zakuani scoring ten goals and debuting for the Congo DR national football team in a friendly.
However, in , he suffered an almost career-ending leg injury. He failed to recapture his early success upon returning in , before retiring after playing the MLS season with the Portland Timbers. After his retirement from soccer, Zakuani helps young athletes through charity work, joined the Sounders' game-day broadcast team, and coaches at Bellevue High School.
When he was four, his father, Mao Zakuani, moved his family to London , for both political and professional reasons, as a translator. At the age of nine, Zakuani attracted interest from West Ham United 's youth program. Zakuani became cocky and brash while not focusing on schoolwork before being released.
His off-the-field issues culminated in serious injuries when he was involved in a crash on a stolen moped. Zakuani was unable to play for 18 months. After losing interest in soccer and renewing his scholastic efforts, he watched motivational speaker, and evangelist, Myles Munroe with a teacher. This inspired Zakuani to renew his commitment to becoming a professional player and, although unsuccessful, he tried out for the senior teams of Queens Park Rangers , Wigan Athletic , AZ Alkmaar , and Real Valladolid.
