Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh’s (yahn-KOO-buh MIN-tay) rapid rise to the Premier League is proof that talent knows no boundaries, especially when combined with hard work and tenacious determination.
For Minteh, football wasn’t just a passion, it was the gateway to a better life for himself and his family.
Minteh’s love for football began in the streets of Bakoteh, a district in Serekunda, the largest city in The Gambia. He honed his skills at Bakoteh United Football Academy before moving on to play for Steve Biko FC, where he started gaining nationwide attention.
In 2022, Minteh moved to Europe to play for Denmark’s Odense BK, marking the start of his professional football journey in Europe. After just one season at OB, the Premier League came calling – he joined Newcastle in the summer of 2023, and was immediately loaned to Feyenoord in the Netherlands, where he had a standout season, making 37 appearances in all competitions.
Now, at just 20 years old, Minteh is in his first season with Brighton & Hove Albion, after he joined for a $38 million transfer fee and signed a five-year contract with the club last July.
In the conversation below, part of NBC Sports’ By Way of Africa series, Minteh reflects on his life in The Gambia, explaining how the challenges his family faced left him with no other option but to succeed.
He also discusses the significance of his early accomplishments, and how he’s developed as a player in his first season with the Seagulls. Minteh, who made his debut for The Gambia’s senior national team – the Scorpions – in 2023, also reflects on his time with the team and offers advice to the next generation of players.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Your rise to the Premier League has been incredible, especially at just 20 years old. A lot of people see your success now, but not everyone knows where you came from. In fact, your mom has said “Yankuba is the one who lifted us out of poverty.”
Can you share what life was like for you in The Gambia and what your family’s situation was like before all of this?
Yankuba Minteh: It was really hard for my parents. My mom sold vegetables in the market, and my dad worked as a chef in a hotel. It was really, really tough for them. I decided to drop out of school to make football my passion and the thing which could take my parents out of poverty.
It seems like you’ve always had this vision that you would be a professional footballer. As a kid, you would tell your mom that you would provide for her one day and even buy her a home. So, when did that dream and passion first start?
Minteh: I remember there was a situation that happened when I was at home. The landlord asked my dad to pay the rent but my dad didn’t have money. It was late — around 3 AM — but I wasn’t sleeping because I could hear everything that they were saying.
That’s where everything started. I started thinking that I could make something out of football which could change my parent’s lives. I didn’t like the situation they were in. People were bullying them because of their poverty. I decided to step [up] and try to take them out of poverty.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - MARCH 2: Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh arrives for the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion at St James’ Park on March 2, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images)
CameraSport via Getty Images
You loved football so much that you used to skip school just to play, and eventually you dropped out. At what point did you believe you could actually make it, and was it difficult to convince your family that this was what you were supposed to be doing?
Minteh: I think at the age of 10 or 11. I had a coach who told me that if I kept playing football, I could make it out because I had the potential to be a professional football player one day and could help my parents. That’s where everything started.
I told my mom I wanted to drop out of school, but she insisted that I had to go because, in Africa, they believe education is the key to everything if you want success in the future. But for me, I wasn’t thinking like that. I knew football was the thing that could change my life. It’s my passion, and I wanted to do it— not just for fun, but to play for my family.
I know The Gambia still has big dreams of making an impact on the international stage, but what does football mean to the country?
Minteh: Football means a lot to the nation. I think it’s the biggest thing in the country! Everybody talks about it and really, really loves football. Every kid wants to be a professional [footballer] in The Gambia.
In 2021, when The Gambia made its first AFCON appearance, you were one of the fans crowding the bus, excited to support the team. Now, you get to play for the Scorpions. How does that make you feel, and what kind of support do you receive from Gambians?
Minteh: It really, really makes me happy. Being one of the fans shows the [next] generation that everything is possible — nothing is impossible in life. You can be a fan one day, and the next day, you’re [part] of the team on the bus. It really motivates me to keep working harder because I know I can achieve anything I want in life. If it’s God’s will, you can achieve anything you want if you keep working hard.
Cameroon’s defender #26 Enzo Tchato fights for the ball with Gambia’s forward #20 Yankuba Minteh during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group C football match between Gambia and Cameroon at Stade de la Paix in Bouake on January 23, 2024. (Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP) (Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
The nation celebrates you. I’ve heard that they call you “The Gambian Messi”. How special is it for your family to see your journey and your success?
Minteh: For my parents, I think they are always happy about it. Sometimes they even cry when talking about me. It makes them emotional. [My journey] was what that took them out of poverty, and they are always happy to hear good things about me. Sometimes they hear things I don’t even know about, and they call me to ask me about it. They are always following me.
How have you developed as a player since joining the Premier League?
Minteh: I will say it’s not easy, but I’m [learning] the system bit by bit. It’s a new era for me and a new club. I need to learn from the people [around me], which I’m doing, so I’m getting [the hang of it] bit by bit.
At just 20 years old, you’ve experienced so many rapid changes in your life. What’s been the most challenging part of this journey?
Minteh: The most challenging part was when I was in The Gambia and the landlord [told] my dad to pay the rent or get out of the house. That was the most challenging part for me because, as a kid, I was thinking, “What can I do to take them out of this situation?” I knew I had to do something with my life just to change the family situation.
You’ve achieved everything you said you would so far. You said you’d buy your mom a house, and you did. When you first moved to Europe, you said you’d spend just one season in the Danish league before getting attention from bigger teams, and you did. What do your accomplishments mean to you?
Minteh: It means a lot to me because I know what I can do. When my agent first brought me to Denmark to try out, it didn’t go well because it was during the winter. I had to go back to The Gambia and when I came back in the summer, that’s when I started showing them what I could do. They gave me a contract, and I told my agent, “I’m not going to stay here for more than one year.” I said “I promise you, if I play here for one year, I’m out of here.” That happened, and I was really happy and proud of it.
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 05: Yankuba Minteh of Brighton & Hove Albion is challenged by Andreas Pereira and Joshua King of Fulham during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at Craven Cottage on December 05, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Where does this confidence in yourself come from?
Minteh: My academy coach, Saikou Joof. He, along with some of the many coaches that I’ve worked with, [instilled] this motivation in my head that if I keep working hard, I’m going to make it, and I believed in that. If you work hard, you can make something out of your life.
Did you ever have doubts along the journey?
Minteh: I never had any doubts because I knew the [potential] I had.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 14: Yankuba Minteh of Brighton & Hove Albion celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Chelsea FC at Amex Stadium on February 14, 2025 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Getty Images
What do you want young footballers in The Gambia to learn from your journey?
Minteh: Focus on your life, and if you’re a football player, you need to work hard. Before, I trained three times a day — in the morning, afternoon, and night. I didn’t have any time to waste because my family’s situation pushed me to do it. Now, I’m seeing the benefits. Now, I have more money for my family. You need to work hard. Nothing comes easy. Talent won’t take you anywhere; you need to really work hard if you want to have success in the end.
I’m a Muslim. I also believe in God. I pray five times a day, every day. I believe that nothing can work without God.
Editor’s Note: By Way of Africa is a series committed to highlighting the talent and stories from the African continent and its diaspora. African stories are worth telling, and the culture—all of the languages, tribes, and traditions—is worth celebrating. Embedded in these narratives is a profound testament to the diligence, discipline, and work ethic deeply ingrained in African heritage. Whether born on the continent or dispersed across the globe, the contributions of these stories to society resound uniquely, by way of Africa.
