_40_(cropped).jpg) Gomes warming up withLille in 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Adilson Angel Abreu de Almeida Gomes | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (2000-08-31)31 August 2000 (age 25) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Edmonton,Greater London, England | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Wolverhampton Wanderers (on loan fromMarseille) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 47 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2017 | Manchester United | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | Manchester United | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2025 | Lille | 105 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | →Boavista (loan) | 30 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Marseille | 14 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2026– | →Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | England U16 | 9 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | England U17 | 13 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | England U18 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | England U19 | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | England U20 | 6 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | England U21 | 18 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | England | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:11, 17 January 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 21:55, 17 November 2024 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Adilson Angel Abreu de Almeida Gomes (born 31 August 2000) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder forPremier League clubWolverhampton Wanderers, on loan fromLigue 1 clubMarseille, and theEngland national team. A versatile player, he has been deployed as anattacking midfielder,central midfielder andwide midfielder in his career.
JoiningManchester United at the age of six, Gomes made his first-team debut for the club in May 2017 and became the first player born in the 2000s to play in thePremier League. After 10 appearances for the team, he was released at the end of his contract in 2020. He then signed for Lille in August and was immediately loaned out toBoavista for a season. Upon his return to France in 2021, he was included in the squad which won the2021 Trophée des Champions, before making his Ligue 1 debut in August and hisUEFA Champions League debut in September.
Besides his native England, Gomes could also have represented Angola or Portugal at international level. He made more than 50 appearances for England's youth national teams, fromunder-16 tounder-21 level. He was the captain of theEngland under-17 team that won the2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, and was a member of the under-21 squad that won the2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He debuted for the senior team in September 2024.
Adilson Angel Abreu de Almeida Gomes[1] was born on(2000-08-31)31 August 2000[2] inEdmonton, Greater London, England to the Angolan-born formerPortugal under-21 internationalGil Gomes during his father's time atHendon.[3][4] The Gomes family then moved to theManchester area when Gil joinedMiddlewich Town, and settled inSalford, where Gomes grew up.[5]
FormerPortugal international andManchester United wingerNani is Gomes' godfather,[6] and he has said that Nani's influence was "massive" as he was somebody he idolised as a youngster.[7]
Gomes started training with theManchester United youth system at the age of six,[8][9] in 2006,[10][11] and made his debut for the club's U18 team when he was 14.[12] He captained the Manchester United U15 team in 2015 at theManchester United Premier Cup and was named MVP, despite United finishing in 12th place at the tournament.[13][14]
After signing as an academy first-year scholar ahead of the2016–17 season,[15] Gomes scored three goals againstEverton on 27 August 2016, and became the third youngest Manchester United academy player to achieve the feat in the club's history at the age of 15 years and 362 days.[16] He then sustained an injury in April 2017 towards the conclusion of the season. Despite this, he finished as the club's top goalscorer and was namedJimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year as the youngest recipient for the award. His form led him to train with the first-team ahead of the final game in the 2016–17 season of the Premier League.[17][18][19]
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Gomes made his first-team debut on 21 May 2017, replacingWayne Rooney in the 88th minute of a 2–0 home victory overCrystal Palace.[20] At 16 years, 263 days old, he became the youngest player to represent Manchester United sinceDuncan Edwards in 1953, as well as the first player born in the 2000s to appear in the Premier League.[21]
On 13 December 2017, Gomes signed his first professional contract with Manchester United,[22] and on 26 January 2018, he made hisFA Cup debut, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute forMarcus Rashford in a 4–0 victory againstYeovil Town in the Fourth Round.[23]
Two years and two months after his senior debut, on 25 July 2019, Gomes scored his first senior goal in a 2–1 pre-season friendly win againstTottenham Hotspur.[24] However, he found first-team opportunities hard to come by during the 2019–20 season, playing just six times in all competitions. Despite protracted negotiations, Manchester United were unable to sign Gomes to a contract extension, and he was released on 30 June 2020.[25][26]
On 4 August 2020, Gomes signed a five-year contract with French clubLille, and was immediately loaned out to Portuguese clubBoavista for the2020–21 campaign.[27][28] In 2021, he revisited the signing in an interview with English media and explained his choice to leave his boyhood club to get more game time.[29] Gomes stated: "There was a contract there that was on the table for me to sign. Everyone always says I left for money which, for me, makes no sense [...]. It was more to do with the pathway and the opportunity that Lille were bringing [...]. It was a big step, and I knew it was going to be one."[30]
On his league debut for Boavista, he registered a hat-trick of assists and was awarded man of the match in a 3–3 draw againstNacional on 19 September. Two weeks later, Gomes scored his first goal for the club and as a professional with a wonder strike from the halfway line in a match againstMoreirense.[31] On 2 November, Gomes won a penalty and then converted the spot-kick in a 3–0 win againstBenfica.[32] He ended his Portugal stint with 32 appearances including two starts in theTaça de Portugal.[33] Scoring six goals and providing six assists in the 2020–21 Primeira Liga, his first complete professional season as a starter, he helped the historicPorto side to avoid relegation.[34]
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After a successful loan spell in the Primeira Liga with Boavista, Gomes returned to Lille on 1 July 2021.[35] He was included in the squad for the club'sTrophée des Champions win overParis Saint-Germain atBloomfield Stadium inTel Aviv, Israel on 1 August.[36][37] Despite not coming on the pitch, he earned his first trophy as a professional and the firstFrench super cup in the history of the club.[37] Three weeks later, he made his Lille debut in the2021–22 Ligue 1 season 3rd round atSaint-Étienne on 21 August, coming on as a substitute forJonathan David and playing the final minutes of the match.[38][39]
The next month, on 14 September 2021, he played his firstUEFA Champions League match againstVfL Wolfsburg in thegroup stage, starting as aleft midfielder.[40][41] In December, Gomes then scored his first Champions League goal also against the German team, in the last round of the group stage, besides delivering an assist in the game after coming on in the 68th minute.[42][43] For the remainder of the Lille season, he was then primarily used as a back-upattacking midfielder or forward and ended up playing an average of around 40 minutes per match.[44]
FollowingPaulo Fonseca's arrival as Lille head coach, Gomes started the2022–23 season as acentral midfielder alongside French and Ligue 1 veteranBenjamin André, behind playmaker and attacking midfielderRémy Cabella, in a 4–1 home win overAuxerre. He ended the match with 8 ball recoveries and a 90% pass completion rate.[45] After other good performances in August, he was praised by reporters for his importance in the Lille attacking system – appearing inL'Équipe andPrime Video Teams of the Week – and was named Lille Player of the Month.[46][47][48] After a 4–3 home victory againstMonaco on 23 October, where he played alongsideAndré Gomes, he was again named inL'Équipe Team of the Week.[49] He gradually became a steady and consistent player in the Lille midfield, within the rotation alongside Benjamin André and André Gomes, and eventually started as the playmaker in some matches in the second part of the season. Delivering a total of 6 assists in theLigue 1 season and having one of the best pass completion rate in the league (87.89%),[50] he helped Lille to secure the 5th place with aUEFA Europa Conference League qualification.[51]
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During the offseason, Gomes decided to switch his Lille's shirt number. After wearing number 20 during his first two full seasons with the club, he chose to swap it for number 8. The shirt had previously been worn by former notable players such asMichel Bastos,Moussa Sow,Salomon Kalou, andXeka.[52] Lille OSC began their2023–24 Ligue 1 season on 11 August 2023, with Gomes coming off the bench and assisting a lateBafodé Diakité's header in a 1–1 home draw againstNice. He then played every Ligue 1 game from summer to spring, starting alternatively as aholding, central or attacking midfielder and only missing round 9 for a yellow card suspension.[53]
On 17 February 2024, Gomes played his 100th game for Lille in a 3–0 home win against newly promoted teamLe Havre and provided an assist to Jonathan David who scored a hat-trick in the match.[54] He stated after the match: "Taking that step is something wonderful for me. This is a seal of approval. Playing is my primary goal."[55] After a minor thigh injury causing him to miss two home wins againstLens andMarseille,[56] he played only a few minutes in theEuropa Conference League quarter-finals two legs againstAston Villa in which Lille nearly made it to the semi-finals but lost on penalties.[57] With a total of 8 assists, he finished the league season as the joint-top assist provider alongsideOusmane Dembélé andRomain Del Castillo.[58] Playing more than 3,000 minutes in all competitions this season,[59] he was praised for his passing abilities and was one of the top midfielders for ball retention under high pressure according to theInternational Centre for Sports Studies.[60] He was also part of the world's top 100 midfield distributors which includes the number of successful passes per match, the percentage of successful passes, the ratio of passes compared to teammates, as well as the average level of matches played.[61] His growing power was acclaimed by pundits in Europe such as former Premier League star Ian Wright calling Gomes ready for anational senior team call-up.[62]
On 17 August 2024, Gomes suffered a head injury in a 0–2Ligue 1 away win atReims. Following a violent collision with Reims midfielderAmadou Koné who was subsequently sent off, he was treated on the pitch for over 30 minutes and was taken to the hospital afterwards. His club then stated after the match that he was able to return home, and was "following medicalconcussion protocol."[63][64] He then made his return two weeks later, starting againstParis Saint-Germain on 1 September.[65]
On 11 June 2025, fellow Ligue 1 clubMarseille agreed to sign Gomes on a free transfer upon the expiration of his contract with Lille at the end of the month.[66] On 4 July, Marseille confirmed the transfer, with the player signing a three-year contract.[67][68]
Gomes made his debut for l'OM in a 1–0 loss toStade Rennais in the team's opening match of the2025–26 Ligue 1 season.[69] His first goal for the club came in a 4–0 win overFC Lorient at theStade Vélodrome on 12 September.[70]
After beginning the season as a deep-lying playmaker,[71] Gomes was moved into a more attacking role and scored in consecutive matches againstAJ Auxerre andStade Brestois at the start of November.[72]
On 29 November, Gomes was substituted at half-time on a 2–2 draw withToulouse FC.[73]After this, he made only one eight minute substitute appearance in a 5–2 win atAngers SCO in OM's next six Ligue 1 matches.[74]
On 20 January 2026, L'Équipe reported that Marseille would allow Gomes to leave the club before the end of the winter transfer window.[75]
On 2 February 2026, Gomes joinedPremier League clubWolverhampton Wanderers on loan for the remainder of the2025–26 season.[76]
In addition to his native England, Gomes was also eligible to represent Angola and Portugal.[77] He eventually chose to represent his country of birth at youth international level and played for every England youth team.[14][78][79]
In August 2015, Gomes began his international career when he made two appearances for England atunder-16 level, both against the United States.[80] He then captained the U16 team,[3][14] making nine appearances and scoring two goals in total at this level.[81] The following year, he was called up to theEngland under-17 team in August 2016, and scored four minutes into his debut while captaining his nation to a 3–1 victory overBelgium. A year later, he played in the2017 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification but missed out on thetournament in May due to injury.[82] Five months later, he played and scored in the England's opening game of the2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup and ultimately led the team to their first title, being one of the team captains.[83][84] Gomes made a total of 13 appearances and scored six goals at U17 level with his country.[80] A few weeks earlier, he made his debut atunder-18 level when he captained England in a 0–0 draw with Brazil on 1 September 2017.[85] He then quickly moved to the next level and scored one goal in six appearances for theEngland under-19 team.[80]
Gomes made hisEngland under-20 debut during a 0–0 draw against theNetherlands on 5 September 2019.[86] He made six appearances in total for the under-20 team and scored two goals.[80] In 2021, he received his first call up for theEngland under-21 squad[87] and made his debut as a substitute during a 1–02023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification win away toAndorra on 11 October.[88] Two years later, Gomes was included in the England squad for the2023 European Under-21 Championship, being the only member of the team to play outside thePremier League and theEFL Championship.[89] Starting as a central midfielder in five of the six England fixtures,[90] he won the tournament on 8 July after the Young Lions beatSpain 1–0 in thefinal and was one of the best players on his team for his last matches with the side,[91][92][93][94] making a total of 18 appearances at U21 level.[79]
On 29 August 2024, Gomes was called up to theEngland senior squad by interim managerLee Carsley for theUEFA Nations League matches against theRepublic of Ireland andFinland.[95] On 7 September, he debuted in a 2–0 away win against the Republic of Ireland atAviva Stadium in Dublin.[96] Coming on as a substitute toKobbie Mainoo in the 77th minute, he wore number 19 and helped England's midfield to manage well the end of the match according to several reports.[97][98][99][100] He hence became the Three Lions' 1284th capped player.[101][102] His close friendMorgan Gibbs-White also made his international debut in Ireland, coming off the bench at the same time as Gomes.[100] He then made his first start in a 2–0 home win againstFinland atWembley Stadium three days later.[103] Deployed as a deep-lying playmaker alongsideDeclan Rice in a 4–2–3–1 formation,[103][104][105] he was praised for his performance[104][105] and is the first player to represent England whilst playing for a French club sinceTrevor Steven in 1992.[106]
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A footballer described as versatile,[107][108][109] Gomes is capable of playing in all midfield positions whereas he preferred to be deployed as an attacking midfielder behind the forward.[110][111][92] His playing style has been compared to that ofRonaldinho due to his creativity, composure and dribbling.[112] In January 2015,Nani described Gomes as Manchester United's next star.[113] Manchester United graduateDanny Webber said: "Gomes is still very small, but he sees the game seconds before others. Angel is likePaul Scholes; he can dictate a game with his intelligence."[114] After having mostly played as a left midfielder and even as acentre-forward for his first season in France,[111][115] hisLille managerPaulo Fonseca started to deploy him as a central midfielder in a position where he is in charge of recovering the ball and directing the play.[116][117] When asked about his style of play after his first England senior team call-up, Gomes then stated: "I would like to say I am just a midfielder. I can operate in all three roles: I can play as the deep-lying midfielder, I can play as a No 8, I can play as a No 10. I just love to play in the midfield and be able to distribute and help the team play in all different areas of the pitch. I am confident. I like keeping the ball, I like taking responsibility."[118]
In an interview for Lille OSC website in September 2022, Gomes cited Spanish midfieldersAndrés Iniesta andXavi along withBernardo Silva andMarco Verratti as inspirations, and emphasised their vision and skill despite a lack of height and strength,[117] features they have in common (he is 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) tall).[119][120] He confided: "When I was a child, I watchedBarcelona a lot. I loved Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, I was inspired by their way of playing."[117] On 9 March 2023, Gomes cited inL'Équipe Silva's ability to switch positions as an inspiration: "I feel comfortable playing in midfield or more attacking positions, I don't really have a preference [...]. The best in this role is Bernardo Silva. I first look at his presence, he looks a bit like me in size [...]. He's everywhere on the pitch, he's brave, he doesn't hide and always makes himself available to his team."[121]
Gomes is good friends with Jonathan David andTimothy Weah, as well asEdon Zhegrova, all three having met playing for Lille.[122][123] He is also close to English midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White,[124] knowing him in the England youth levels when they won both the 2017 U-17 World Cup and the 2023 European Under-21 Championship.[125]
Besides his native English and Portuguese (the language he speaks with his parents),[117] he says that he can understand French well, and is learning to speak it, on account of living inLille.[117] He is Christian, and stated in 2020: "I'm religious, I'm a Christian, so I'll pray before games and coming on to the pitch I'll always pray."[126]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester United | 2016–17[127] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017–18[128] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2018–19[129] | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20[130] | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Manchester United U21 | 2019–20[130] | — | — | — | — | 2[d] | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| Boavista (loan) | 2020–21[79] | Primeira Liga | 30 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 6 | |||
| Lille | 2021–22[79] | Ligue 1 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 4[e] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 3 | |
| 2022–23[79] | Ligue 1 | 36 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 39 | 3 | ||||
| 2023–24[79] | Ligue 1 | 31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 11[f] | 2 | — | 45 | 2 | |||
| 2024–25[79] | Ligue 1 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 6[e] | 1 | — | 20 | 2 | |||
| Total | 105 | 4 | 8 | 2 | — | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 134 | 10 | |||
| Marseille | 2025–26[79] | Ligue 1 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 4[e] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | |
| Career total | 154 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 198 | 20 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2024 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 0 | |
Lille
England U17
England U21
Individual
