Sam Nombe
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samuel Tshiayima Nombe | ||
| Date of birth | 22 October 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Croydon, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Rotherham United | ||
| Number | 29 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2017 | Milton Keynes Dons | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2021 | Milton Keynes Dons | 31 | (2) |
| 2018 | → Oxford City (loan) | 9 | (6) |
| 2018–2019 | → Oxford City (loan) | 11 | (2) |
| 2019 | → Maidenhead United (loan) | 14 | (1) |
| 2020–2021 | → Luton Town (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Exeter City | 76 | (23) |
| 2023– | Rotherham United | 23 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:16, 21 January 2024 (UTC) | |||
Samuel Tshiayima Nombe (born 22 October 1998) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL Championship club Rotherham United.
Club career
Milton Keynes Dons
Nombe joined Milton Keynes Dons academy at under-11 level, and on 12 May 2017 signed professional terms with the club, alongside fellow academy graduate Hugo Logan.
On 8 August 2017, Nombe made his competitive professional debut for the club, coming on as an 80th-minute substitute for Ryan Seager during an EFL Cup first round away win over Forest Green Rovers. Nombe made his league debut four days later on 12 August 2017, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute for Robbie Muirhead in a 1–0 away defeat to Blackpool.
On 18 May 2018, following a productive first season as a professional, Nombe signed a contract extension keeping him at the club until summer 2019, which was later extended until June 2020 on 31 May 2018.
Oxford City (loans)
On 9 February 2018, Nombe joined National League South club Oxford City on loan until the end of the 2017/18 season. During his brief loan spell, Nombe scored six goals in nine appearances for the club before being recalled to Milton Keynes Dons on 23 April 2018.
On 30 October 2018 Nombe re-joined Oxford City on a short-term loan until 1 January 2019,
Maidenhead United (loan)
On 11 January 2019, Nombe joined National League club Maidenhead United on loan until the end of the season.
Luton Town (loan)
On 16 October 2020, Nombe joined Championship club Luton Town for the remainder of the 2020–21 season with an "intent and option" for a permanent transfer. At the conclusion of the season, Luton Town opted not to make Nombe's transfer permanent following limited first team opportunities in which he made only 11 league appearances.
Exeter City
On 5 July 2021, Nombe joined League Two club Exeter City for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year contract. He scored his first goal for City on 18 September in a 2–0 home win over Sutton United, his effort minutes prior being chalked down as a Sutton own goal. Exeter secured promotion back to League One that season, with Nombe scoring eight goals despite being injured for a large part of the season.
Rotherham United
On 31 August 2023, Nombe departed Exeter after weeks of speculation, reuniting with former manager Matt Taylor, joining Championship club Rotherham United for a club-record undisclosed fee on a four-year deal.
Career statistics
- As of match played 20 January 2024
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Milton Keynes Dons | 2017–18 | League One | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 2018–19 | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2019–20 | League One | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 5 | |
| 2020–21 | League One | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | |
| Milton Keynes Dons total | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 46 | 6 | ||
| Oxford City (loan) | 2017–18 | National League South | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | 9 | 6 | |||
| 2018–19 | National League South | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 14 | 3 | ||
| Oxford City total | 20 | 8 | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 23 | 9 | |||
| Maidenhead United (loan) | 2018–19 | National League | 14 | 1 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | ||
| Luton Town (loan) | 2020–21 | Championship | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Exeter City | 2021–22 | League Two | 28 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 10 |
| 2022–23 | League One | 43 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 17 | |
| 2023–24 | League One | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Exeter City total | 76 | 23 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 85 | 27 | ||
| Rotherham United | 2023–24 | Championship | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |
| Career total | 175 | 36 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 204 | 45 | ||
- Appearances in EFL Trophy.
- Appearance in FA Trophy.
Honours
Exeter City
- League Two runner-up: 2021–22
Individual
- Milton Keynes Dons Young Player of the Year: 2019–20