Youssouf Mulumbu eyeing English Premier League return
Playing in just his fourth game for his new club, the 30-year-old was man-of-the-match as Killie came from behind to defeat Rangers in the Saturday lunchtime game.
His perfectly weighted through ball enabled Eamonn Brophy to cross for Kris Boyd to level the scores, before the former Ibrox striker managed to grab a second after deflecting Mulumbu’s shot past Wes Foderingham in the away goal.
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Hide Ad“I’m not going to claim it as a goal but I’ll claim it as an assist,” laughed Mulumbu.
The Congolese international is once again enjoying his football after a frustrating two-year spell with Norwich City. Considered a key figure in the West Bromwich Albion side which first won promotion and then became a mainstay in the English top flight, he barely got a look-in with the Canaries under Alex Neil.
Out injured when his contract expired in the summer, he had to wait until November for his former boss at West Brom to throw him a lifeline. Steve Clarke made the player his first signing as Killie manager and the move has paid off for both parties. Despite not being 100 per cent match fit, by his own admission, Mulumbu’s class still stands out in the Ladbrokes Premiership, and he hasn’t given up hope of using his time here as a stepping stone to get back to the top level.
“If everything goes OK then I may pick a bigger team or go back to the Premier League, you never know. But right now I’m enjoying my time here and I hope we finish in the top half of the table,” said Mulumbu.
“I did two years at Norwich. It didn’t go the way I wanted, but now I’m enjoying playing. I enjoy winning, it’s always easy to work during the week when you win. I’m not going to lie, when you go from playing every week for West Brom and then you go to Norwich, maybe even a smaller club, and you don’t play then it’s quite hard.
“I picked up some injuries, I came back and the coach wasn’t that great with me. I’m not going to blame him, maybe I did something. I had some bad luck.
“I came here because I knew the way Steve Clarke works and he gives me 100 per cent confidence on the pitch and I’m just learning every day. Even though I’m 30 I’m still learning.”