Elton Kabangu, a Belgian forward born on 8 February 1998, is currently plying his trade as a left winger for Hearts. Standing 5ft 10in (1.78m) tall and tipping the scales at 11st (70kg), Kabangu is a sturdy presence on the field. The number 19 jersey, his chosen attire, has become a well-known sight for the Hearts faithful.
Kabangu is thought to be worth around €600k, equivalent to about £500k according to Transfermarkt. His current contract with Hearts is a ticking time bomb. With just three months left on his current deal, it is set to expire on 31 May 2025.
In August 2017, Kabangu bid adieu to Gent, a club in the Pro League in Belgium, and jetted off on loan to FC Eindhoven in the Eerste Divisie in the Netherlands. In his maiden season (2017-2018), he made a much-talked-about debut, with 38 first-team appearances and a handsome return of ten goals. In the following 2018-2019 season, he made 36 first team appearances and netted eight goals.
Another chapter in Kabangu's football journey opened in August 2019, when he traded Gent once more, this time for Willem II in the Dutch Eredivisie for an undisclosed fee. As the 2019-2020 season rolled on, Kabangu made four league appearances for his new team. In the 2021-2022 season, he made 24 appearances and added three goals to his tally. However, it was the 2022-2023 season at Willem II where he shone the brightest, with 28 appearances and an impressive 12-goal haul.
In July 2023, Kabangu made the move to Union Saint-Gilloise in the Belgian Pro League. During his single season there (2023-2024), he chalked up 12 appearances and a solitary goal to his record.
The story took an interesting turn in January 2025, when Union Saint-Gilloise loaned Kabangu to the Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. Despite it being relatively early days in his Hearts' career, he has already scored six times from nine outings in the current 2024-2025 season.
Kabangu has also graced the Scottish Cup 2024-2025 for Hearts, making three starts and celebrating two goals. Given his performance, hopes are high among Hearts fans for the future.
