Steven N'Kemboanza Mike Nzonzi is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Al-Rayyan Club and the French national team. his shirt no is 88. Nzonzi plays in a defensive role in centre midfield and is noted for being calm and composed whilst in possession and having a good passing ability. He has earned comparisons to compatriot Patrick Vieira both in style and physical ability.

Early Life

Steven Nzonzi was born on 15 December 1988 in La Garenne Colombes, France to French mother and a Congolese father. He holds a French nationality having a Conglose ethnicity. He played junior football for clubs such as Racing Paris, Paris Saint Germain, CA Lisieux, Caen, Beauvais, and Amiens.

Personal Life

Currently, 29, the French midfielder, Steven Nzonzi stands at height of 6 feet 6 inches tall. Talking about his personal life, he was previously married to his wife, Lynda N Zonzi with whom he married in 2013. The couple got separated in 2017 due to personal differences. He was involved in a collision with a cyclist in Hale, Greater Manchester and stood trial for alleged assault on his wife. He was later cleared of the charges in December 2015.

Club Career

After featuring in the Championnat de France amateur 2 for his first two years at the club, Nzonzi made his professional debut on 24 November 2007 in a Coupe de France match against amateur club AS Raismes appearing as a substitute in the 74th minute, Amiens won the match 7–0. Following the season, he signed his first professional contract and was officially promoted to the senior team. Nzonzi was given the starting defensive midfielder role for the 2008–09 season and appeared in 36 total matches. He also scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 defeat to Strasbourg on 8 May 2009. On 28 June 2009, it was reported that Blackburn Rovers had agreed a deal with Amiens to sign Nzonzi. The move was completed on 30 June, signing for a fee of £650,000, on a four-year contract. In August 2010, Nzonzi signed a new five-year deal with Blackburn, lasting until summer 2015. On 31 August 2012, Nzonzi joined Stoke City for a fee of £3 million. He made his debut for Stoke in a 1–1 draw at home to Manchester City on 15 September 2012 and his performance earned him the man of the match award. Under new manager Mark Hughes, Nzonzi remained at Stoke going into the 2013–14 and he produced a man of the match performance against West Ham United on 31 August 2013. 

He returned to the starting line-up and scored in a 4–1 win over Aston Villa on 23 March 2014. Nzonzi's performances during the campaign earned him the Player of the Year award. In June 2015, with Nzonzi entering his final year on his contract, manager Mark Hughes tried to convince him to agree to sign a new contract.

On 9 July 2015, Nzonzi signed for Sevilla for a fee around the region of £7 million, on a four-year contract which includes a €30 million (£21.5m) buyout clause. Nzonzi initially struggled with the immense heat in Andalusia, and a style of play based on retention of the ball and technical ability, but entered a period of good form in the second half of the season, culminating in Sevilla winning the UEFA Europa League final against Liverpool in Basel.

On 23 October 2016, his winning goal in a home victory over Atlético Madrid put his team briefly on top of the league. He was voted La Liga Player of the Month for January 2017, with the league's website writing "Often to be found in the thick of the action. 

On 14 August 2018, Nzonzi signed for Serie A club Roma for an initial fee of €26.65 million, plus performance-related clauses that could be worth an additional €4 million. He signed a four-year contract. ESPN FC's analysis named him as man of the match for "adding weight and muscle" to Roma's midfield.

On 16 August 2019, Nzonzi was loaned to Turkish side Galatasaray for the 2019–20 season.

On 31 January 2020, Nzonzi was loaned to Rennes.

On 29 September 2021, Qatari club Al-Rayyan confirmed signing of Nzonzi on a two-year contract.

Net Worth & Salary

His annual salary is around €1.3 million with a weekly salary of €25,000 which he earns from playing for Sevilla FC and has a market worth in the region of €30 million as of May 2018. Looking at his professional playing career, as of 2023 his net worth is estimated to be around $5 million.