Steven Mouyokolo

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Steven Mouyokolo

| image = Mouyokolo Celtic.jpg

| caption = Mouyokolo with Celtic in 2013

| full_name = Steven Stefan Fabrice Mouyokolo{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2142220,00.html |title=Premier League clubs submit squad lists |publisher=Premier League |date=1 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111124111507/http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2142220,00.html |archive-date=24 November 2011}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|1|24|df=y}}{{cite web |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur27101.html |title=Steven Mouyokolo |newspaper=L'Équipe |location=Paris |access-date=6 April 2025 |language=fr}}

| birth_place = Melun, Seine-et-Marne, France

| height = 1.90 m

| position = Centre back

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2006

| youthclubs1 = Châteauroux

| years1 = 2006–2007

| years2 = 2007–2008

| years3 = 2008–2009

| years4 = 2009–2010

| years5 = 2010–2013

| years6 = 2011–2012

| years7 = 2013–2014

| clubs1 = Châteauroux

| clubs2 = Gueugnon

| clubs3 = Boulogne

| clubs4 = Hull City

| clubs5 = Wolverhampton Wanderers

| clubs6 = → Sochaux (loan)

| clubs7 = Celtic

| caps1 = 0

| caps2 = 22

| caps3 = 13

| caps4 = 21

| caps5 = 4

| caps6 = 4

| caps7 = 2

| goals1 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 0

| goals4 = 1

| goals5 = 0

| goals6 = 0

| goals7 = 0

| totalcaps = 67

| totalgoals = 1

}}

Steven Stefan Fabrice Mouyokolo (born 24 January 1987) is a French former footballer who played as a centre back. His career had been marred by injury.

Club career

=Early career=

Mouyokolo was born in Melun, Seine-et-Marne, France, to Congolese parents. He began his senior football career at Ligue 2 side LB Châteauroux. He made his way up to the first team in 2006, but never made a first team appearance for the club, and in 2007 he joined fellow Ligue 2 side FC Gueugnon. He made 22 first team appearances for his new club, and his impressive displays from central defence earned him a move to US Boulogne, also of Ligue 2.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

The defender made a bright start to the 2008–09 Ligue 2 season, helping his team to second in the table by December. His performances caught the attention of English Premier League teams Newcastle United, Wigan Athletic, Middlesbrough, Bolton Wanderers{{cite news |url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11800_4632075,00.html |first=Patrick |last=Haond |date=12 December 2008 |accessdate=12 December 2008 |title=English scouts like look of Mouyokolo |publisher=Sky Sports}} and Arsenal.{{cite news |url=http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/11435/Arsenal_close_in_on_Mouyokolo.aspx |first=Nigel |last=Brown |date=19 December 2008 |accessdate=22 December 2008 |title=Arsenal close in on Mouyokolo |publisher=Sport.co.uk}}

=Hull City=

However, it was Hull City who agreed a fee with Boulogne for the defender on 30 January 2009, but the transfer would not take place until the summer.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hull_city/7860116.stm |date=30 January 2009 |accessdate=31 January 2009 |title=Defender Mouyokolo to join Hull |work=BBC Sport}} Mouyokolo officially signed a four-year deal for his new club on 2 June 2009, after helping his former club to promotion to French Ligue 1 for the first time in their history.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/h/hull_city/7860116.stm |date=2 June 2009 |accessdate=2 June 2009 |title=French defender seals Hull deal |work=BBC Sport}} He scored to earn a 1–1 draw against eventual champions Chelsea on 2 February 2010,{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8490298.stm |title=Hull 1–1 Chelsea |work=BBC Sport|date=2 February 2010 |accessdate=2 February 2010}} but was part of the team that ended up relegated to The Championship.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8649742.stm |title=Wigan 2–2 Hull |work=BBC Sport|date=3 May 2010}}

=Wolverhampton Wanderers=

Mouyokolo remained in the English Premier League when he moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers on 18 June 2010 in a four-year deal (with the option of a fifth year){{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wolverhampton_wanderers/8748431.stm |title=Wolves sign French defender Steven Mouyokolo from Hull |work=BBC Sport|date=18 June 2010}} for a fee which was undisclosed but reported in the local media as being £2.5 million.{{cite news |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2010/06/18/wolves-close-to-5-5m-double-swoop-for-hull-pair/ |title=Wolves complete Steven Mouyokolo signing |work=Express and Star |date=18 June 2010}} His Wolves debut came in the League Cup tie with Notts County at Molineux on 21 September 2010.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/9009962.stm |title=Wolverhampton 4–2 Notts County |work=BBC Sport|date=21 September 2010}} He struggled to make an impression in his first season, making only seven appearances in all competitions.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

With opportunities limited at Wolves, in June 2011 Mouyokolo was sent on loan to Ligue 1 side Sochaux, with the option to buy the player at the end of the loan. Wolves manager Mick McCarthy said at the time: "We saw huge potential in Steven but he has had injury problems that have limited his opportunities."{{cite news |url=http://www.wolves.co.uk/page/News/0,,10307~2383627,00.html |title=Defender returns to France |publisher=Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C |date=29 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701201336/http://www.wolves.co.uk/page/News/0%2C%2C10307~2383627%2C00.html |archivedate=1 July 2011}} However, Mouyokolo only managed four appearances for Sochaux in a season marred by injury, including a ruptured cruciate ligament suffered in February 2012, before he returned to Wolves at the end of the season.{{cite news |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2012/05/03/steven-mouyokolo-returns-to-wolves/ |title=Steven Mouyokolo returns to Wolves |work=Express and Star |date=3 May 2012}} On 30 January 2013 his contract at Wolves was terminated by mutual consent, making him a free agent after just seven appearances for the club.{{cite news |title=Steven Mouyokolo is latest to leave Wolves |work=Express & Star |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2013/01/30/forgotten-man-steven-mouyokolo-is-latest-to-leave-wolves/ |date=30 January 2013}} Mouyokolo says his injury made him realized how lucky he is a footballer.{{cite news |title=Celtic signing Steven Mouyokolo: My injury nightmare made me realise how lucky I am to be a professional footballer |url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/celtic-signing-steven-mouyokolo-injury-2068551 |work=Daily Record |date=20 July 2013 |accessdate=1 September 2014}}

=Celtic=

On 16 July 2013, Mouyokolo signed for Scottish Premier League champions Celtic, after impressing on trial in a series of pre-season games.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23330957 |title=Celtic secure deal for defender Steven Mouyokolo |work=BBC Sport|date=16 July 2013 |accessdate=18 July 2013}} Mouyokolo says Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink played a role of helping him join the club.{{cite news |title=Celtic new Bhoy Steven Mouyokolo reveals how he was sold on Hoops by ex-Parkhead hero Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink |url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/celtic-new-bhoy-steven-mouyokolo-2026999 |work=Daily Record |date=5 July 2013 |accessdate=1 September 2014}}

He made his Celtic debut in a 2–0 win against Aberdeen.{{cite news |title=Aberdeen 0 – 2 Celtic |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23644812 |work=BBC Sport|date=17 August 2013 |accessdate=1 September 2014}} Mouyokolo went on to make his European debut for the club only three days later against Shakhtar Karagandy in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League play off round.{{cite news |title=Shakhter Karagandy 2 – 0 Celtic |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23678091 |work=BBC Sport|date=20 August 2013 |accessdate=1 September 2014}} Soon his career at Celtic wasn't as he planned when he sustained Achilles tendon after picking up the injury in training.{{cite news |title=Celtic's Steven Mouyokolo to miss six months through injury |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24083577 |work=BBC Sport|date=13 September 2013 |accessdate=1 September 2014}} After a six-month out, Mouyokolo returns to first team action, coming on as a late substitute, in a 2–0 victory against Dundee United on 5 April 2014.{{cite news |title=Dundee United 0 – 2 Celtic |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26796706 |work=BBC Sport|date=5 April 2014 |accessdate=1 September 2014}}

After an injury stricken season with Celtic, Mouyokolo left the club during the summer transfer window after his one-year contract expired.{{cite web |url=http://videocelts.com/2014/06/blogs/latest-news/no-new-deal-for-defender |title=No new deal for defender |publisher=Video Celts |accessdate=1 September 2014 |date=29 June 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140901154104/http://videocelts.com/2014/06/blogs/latest-news/no-new-deal-for-defender |archivedate=1 September 2014 |url-status=unfit}}