Bridge Ndilu

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Bridge Ndilu

| image =

| full_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2000|7|21}}

| birth_place = Le Mans, France

| height = 1.86 m

| position = Forward

| currentclub = Swift Hesperange

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 2016–2017 | youthclubs1 = Laval

| years1 = 2017–2019 | caps1 = 27 | goals1 = 8 | clubs1 = Laval II

| years2 = 2017–2019 | caps2 = 29 | goals2 = 7 | clubs2 = Laval

| years3 = 2019–2023 | caps3 = 20 | goals3 = 7 | clubs3 = Nantes II

| years4 = 2019–2023 | caps4 = 6 | goals4 = 0 | clubs4 = Nantes

| years5 = 2021–2022 | caps5 = 17 | goals5 = 1 | clubs5 = → Quevilly-Rouen (loan)

| years6 = 2022–2023 | caps6 = 25 | goals6 = 3 | clubs6 = → Cholet (loan)

| years7 = 2023- | caps7 = 0 | goals7 = 0 | clubs7 = Swift Hesperange

| nationalyears1 = 2018 | nationalteam1 = France U18 | nationalcaps1 = 4 | nationalgoals1 = 2

| nationalyears2 = 2018–2019 | nationalteam2 = France U19 | nationalcaps2 = 6 | nationalgoals2 = 0

| club-update = 30 August 2023

| nationalteam-update = 1 July 2021

}}

Bridge Ndilu (born 21 July 2000) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Luxembourgish club Swift Hesperange. A product of the FC Nantes academy, he has since gone on to play for other French teams before joining Swift Hesperange.

Club career

Ndilu played for Stade Lavallois from 2017 to 2019, turning professional in 2018.{{Cite web|title=Bridge Ndilu devient joueur professionnel au Stade Lavallois|url=https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/societe/bridge-ndilu-devient-joueur-professionnel-au-stade-lavallois-1519120645|last=Coutard|first=Charlotte|date=20 February 2018|website=France Bleu|language=fr|trans-title=Bridge Ndilu becomes a professional player at Stade Lavallois|access-date=23 May 2020}} There he gained much game time in France's Championnat National{{Cite web|title=FC Nantes. L'attaquant lavallois Bridge Ndilu a signé pour cinq ans|url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/sport/football/fc-nantes/fc-nantes-l-attaquant-lavallois-bridge-ndilu-signe-pour-cinq-ans-6386859|date=7 June 2019|website=Ouest-France|language=fr|trans-title=FC Nantes. Laval striker Bridge Ndilu signed for five years|access-date=23 May 2020}} raising the attention of clubs such as Juventus{{Cite web|title=Bridge Ndilu (Laval) pisté par la Juventus ?|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Bridge-ndilu-laval-piste-par-la-juventus/911011|trans-title=Bridge Ndilu (Laval) tracked by Juventus?|date=14 June 2018|website=L'Équipe|language=fr|access-date=23 May 2020}} with a potential €4 million transfer fee.{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldfootballscouting.com/giovani-talenti-del-2000/bridge-ndilu-talento-francese-classe-2000/|title=Bridge Ndilu: talento francese classe 2000|trans-title=Bridge Ndilu: French talent born in 2000|date=19 March 2019|access-date=28 February 2020|website=World Football Scouting|language=it}} He eventually was transferred to FC Nantes on 24 June 2019.{{Cite news|title=Transferts : Nantes recrute Bridge Ndilu (Laval)|trans-title=Transfers: Nantes recruits Bridge Ndilu (Laval)|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Transferts-nantes-recrute-bridge-ndilu-laval/1033253|date=24 June 2019|access-date=28 February 2020|work=L'Équipe|language=fr}}

Ndilu made his professional debut for Nantes in a 2–0 Coupe de France win over Aviron Bayonnais on 4 January 2020.{{Cite news|date=5 January 2020|title=FC Nantes : "Je vais donner mon maillot à ma maman." Entretien avec Bridge Ndilu après son premier match|language=fr|work=France Bleu|trans-title=FC Nantes: "I will give my shirt to my mom." Interview with Bridge Ndilu after his first match|url=https://www.francebleu.fr/sports/football/fc-nantes-je-vais-donner-mon-maillot-a-ma-maman-confie-bridge-ndilu-apres-son-premier-match-1578226978|first=Florian|last=Cazzola}}

Although Ndilu's emergence in the professional team was tempered by the arrival of forwards such as Renaud Emond, his manager Christian Gourcuff in January 2020 expressed confidence that Ndilu would eventually make his way to the Ligue 1 first team.{{Cite news|title=FC Nantes Mercato : Gourcuff rassure pour cette pépite!|trans-title=FC Nantes Mercato: Gourcuff reassures for this nugget!|url=https://www.foot-sur7.fr/441190-fc-nantes-gourcuff-rassure-pour-pepite|last=Jean|first=Timothée|date=9 January 2020|work=Foot sur 7|language=fr}}

On 31 August 2021, he joined Ligue 2 club Quevilly-Rouen on loan.{{cite web|publisher=Quevilly-Rouen|url=https://qrm.fr/bridge-ndilu-rejoint-qrm-en-pret-du-fc-nantes/|title=BRIDGE NDILU REJOINT QRM EN PRÊT DU FC NANTES|date=31 August 2021|language=fr}}

On 17 September 2022, Ndilu was loaned to Cholet in Championnat National for the season.{{cite web|publisher=SO Cholet|url=https://www.socholet.fr/actualites/communique-officiel-bridge-ndilu-sengage-avec-le-so-cholet/|title=BRIDGE NDILU S'ENGAGE AVEC LE SO CHOLET|date=17 September 2022|access-date=7 February 2023|language=fr}}

International career

Born in France, Ndilu is of Congolese descent.{{Cite web|url=https://leopardsactu.com/transfert-un-autre-congolais-signe-au-fc-nantes-au-detriment-de-juventus/|title=TRANSFERT : Un autre congolais signe au FC Nantes au détriment de Juventus|date=8 June 2019}} Ndilu represented the France U19s at the 2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Euro-u19-la-liste-definitive-des-bleus-connue/1035694|title=Euro U19: la liste définitive des Bleus connue|trans-title=Euro U19: the definitive list of Blues known|date=1 July 2019|website=L'Équipe|language=fr}}