Charly Musonda Jnr retires aged 28

Former Chelsea player Charly Musonda Jnr has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 28. 

Musonda’s career was derailed by injuries after a promising start breaking through at the Chelsea Academy.

Musonda is the youngest son of Zambian legend Charles Musonda but opted to represent his country of birth, Belgium at International level.

Musonda was with the Blues from the age of 15-year-old and made seven senior appearances.

But during a 2018 loan with Vitesse, Musonda suffered a major posterior cruciate ligament, which has hampered him ever since.

Charly Musonda Junior’s playing career spans over a decade, marked by both promise and challenges. Here’s a summary of his journey:

Early Career

– Born on October 15, 1996, in Brussels to Zambian parents

– Started at Anderlecht’s youth setup before joining Chelsea in 2012

– Signed a professional contract with Chelsea in 2013 and became a regular in the under-18 and under-21 teams

Loan Spells and Injuries

– Joined Real Betis on loan in 2016, making his professional debut and scoring his first goal

– Suffered a posterior cruciate ligament injury in 2017, restricting him to limited appearances

– Loaned to Celtic in 2018, but the agreement was terminated due to lack of playing time

– Joined Vitesse on a season-long loan in 2018

Later Career

– Returned to Chelsea, but struggled to regain fitness after his injury

– Played for Levante in the Segunda División from 2022, before terminating his contract in 2023

– Signed with Anorthosis Famagusta in the Cypriot First Division in 2023, but left after one year

International Career

– Represented Belgium at various youth levels, from under-15 to under-21

Honours

– Won the FA Youth Cup and UEFA Youth League with Chelsea’s youth teams

– Scored in his debut start for Chelsea’s first team in the EFL Cup against Nottingham Forest in 2017 .