Zemura settling well at Bournemouth Jordan Zemura

Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE international, Jordan Zemura, is settling in well in the Bournemouth first team and should fancy his chances of making it big, in the new English Championship season.

The 21-year-old, who is working his way from the development structures, featured in the team’s 5-0 drubbing of League One side, MK Dons, in the Carabao Cup, at the weekend.

Zemura, who will once again wear jersey No.33 at Bournemouth, this season, replaced Jack Stacey, who was forced off due to an injury, five minutes before half-time.

Teammate David Brooks scored twice, to ease Scott Parker’s team, into the second round, of the tournament.

Dominic Solanke and Phil Billing were also on target before Christian Saydee came off the bench, to mark his professional debut, with a goal.

But, it looks like Zemura is poised to play a bigger role, with the Cherries, this season.

He made his first-team debut last season, having made impressive progress, since joining the Cherries, at the end of the 2018/19 season.

He made five senior appearances for Cherries last season, two of which came in the English Championship.

His success come against the backdrop a decade of effort, rejection and dogged perseverance, to make it as a professional footballer.

“I don’t really get nervous before games, I’m a laid-back guy, but for Palace I found out I was starting and I was just buzzing, my mouth was wide open and I couldn’t stop smiling,’’ he told the club’s website.

“I wanted to show I was ready to go, I wanted to make my debut before 21, that was on my checklist.

‘’Playing, and then scuffing a penalty into the bottom corner in the shootout, was good. I won man-of-the-match, I’ve got the award in my house now.

“Then, it was onto the Man City game, I wasn’t starting but then Lloyd (Kelly) got injured in the first half, in my mind I was so switched on, and ready to come on and perform. “I’d worked out 20 different ways I was going pass the ball, get past a player, try to shoot, cross it, defend in a one-vs-one situation.

“Being on the pitch, against players in the Euros now, I was thinking, ‘This is what I want, this is me.’ I thought I handled myself well and had a good game.

“It was big for my family back home, I got a few cool points with my little brothers. They were gutted that they couldn’t be there, they lived it, watching the TV, and were really proud of me.’’ The young defender spent time in the youth ranks at Queens Park Rangers and Charlton before being released in 2019.

“When I left Charlton, it was off the back of an injury, so I was finding my way again.

‘’My family helped pick me up and I got a day job, in fact, that showed me that there was no way in hell I wasn’t going to make it as a footballer. “I worked with a family friend who fitted glass and window frames. I tried doing the fitting with my hands but I wasn’t too good to be honest, I’ve always been better with my feet. I was lifting the glass, getting it from A to B and I was thinking, ‘I’m not sure about doing this.’

“I got fired from that, I was doing it to keep the money going but I was ready to go.

“My mum and dad were helping me but I didn’t want to keep asking so I did that and it made me even hungrier when I came to Bournemouth.” Bournemouth are scheduled to get their new Championship campaign underway this Friday, against West Brom.

A year after his first international call-up was thwarted by injury, Zemura made his debut for the Warriors last November, in an AFCON qualifier, against Algeria.

“Recently, I’ve been able to take it in and start to cherish those moments that little bit more because I’d set my targets, and my goals, and knew how much work I’d put into it,” he said. “For my mum, and dad, there was that pride in their boy. My grandparents are all in Zimbabwe, unfortunately, one of my grandads had passed away so didn’t see my debut, I’m sure he’d have been looking down on me.

“My dad’s mum is an MP there as well, we’re both representing our country and I love her to bits.’’

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