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8 Things You Didn’t Know About Wilfried Bony

8 Things You Didn’t Know About Wilfried Bony

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Ivorian striker Wilfried Bony is a well-known player in the English Premier League, having played for Swansea City before his current stint in attack for Manchester City. Bony has quickly made a name for himself as a reliable target-man for his national team, and is amongst the most talented strikers from the African continent.

Here are 8 things you didn’t know about Wilfried Bony.

Sources: DailyMail.co.uk, Wikipedia.org, WilfriedBony.com, FootballTop.com, SuperSport.com, M&G, BBCSport, Twitter.

This is an updated version of a slideshow that was originally published Jun. 11, 2014. Peter Pedroncelli contributed to this report.

Cote D'Ivoire Afcon Winners
Cote D’Ivoire Afcon Winners – imatin.net

Bony is an African champion

Bony was part of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winning team which finally lived up to the expectations of their fans. The Elephants beat the Black Stars of Ghana in the final of the tournament, winning a tense penalty shootout victory against their West African rivals.

africafootballshop.com
africafootballshop.com

He is active on social media

Bony is an active member of the social media generation, using platforms such as Instagram and Twitter to keep in contact with his fans and fellow football professionals. He enjoys a following of over 22,000 people on Twitter, while he only follows a select group of less than 50 other accounts on the social media site.

cbc.ca
cbc.ca

Bony trialed with Liverpool in 2007, but was not offered a contract

While playing in the Côte d’Ivoire Premier Division for the Issia Wazi football club, Bony went to a trial for the Premier League club Liverpool in 2007. The club had tried to lodge a bid for him. Unfortunately, he was not offered a contract, and was told that he was too young and needed a bit more training. Bony’s trial with Liverpool was his first time abroad.

Bony-Drogba-collage

Bony made his debut for the Ivorian national team in 2010

Playing alongside Ivorian superstar Didier Drogba, Bony joined his country’s national team in 2010. He is widely considered Drogba’s successor in the Ivorian team’s attacking line, but it will certainly take some doing. He did well to contribute to his side’s victorious run at the 2015 AFCON.

Wilfried Bony at Vitesse
Wilfried Bony at Vitesse – soccernews.com

Bony was the third-highest scorer in European football during the 2012-13 season

Bony’s 31 goals for Vitesse in the 2012-13 season were just behind the top two finishers in Europe: Lionel Messi (46 goals) and Cristiano Ronaldo (33 goals). His efforts, however, still snagged him the title of highest goal scorer of the African European-based players, a feat that earned him much recognition for his fantastic season.

Wilfried Bony at Vitesse
Wilfried Bony at Vitesse – theguardian.com

Bony was named Dutch Footballer of the Year in 2013

After leaving Sparta Prague for the Dutch Eredivisie club Vitesse of Arnhem in January 2011, he would go on to score 51 goals in 69 appearances for the team between 2011 and 2013. For his efforts, he was name the Dutch Footballer of the Year in 2013 and received the coveted “Golden Shoe.”

Wilfried Bony at Manchester City
Wilfried Bony at Manchester City – mirror.co.uk

Swansea City set a record when it paid Bony £12 million in 2013

Bony signed a four-year contract with Swansea City July 11, 2013, and his £12-million fee is the football club’s highest-ever contract. He made his Swansea City debut shortly after, wearing the number 10 and featuring “Wilfried” on the back of his jersey, rather than “Bony.” In January 2015, Bony signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with fellow Premier League club Manchester City.

cote divoire

Bony speaks four languages

Growing up, he learned to speak French and English fluently, but picked up Czech and Dutch from his time playing for Sparta Prague and Vitesse. He would benefit from his ability to speak English when he moved to the Premier League to play for Swansea, and then Manchester City.