| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Godwill Kukonki | ||
| Date of birth | 6 February 2008 | ||
| Place of birth | Stoke-on-Trent, England [1] | ||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) [2] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Manchester United | ||
| Number | 72 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2013– | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024– | Manchester United | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2025- | England U17 | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10:10, 24 February 2025 (UTC) | |||
Godwill Kukonki is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Manchester United. [3]
Born in England but of DR Congolese descent, [4] Kukonki is eligible to represent either England's or DR Congo's national team.
Kukonki made his England U17s debut during a 3-2 win over the Netherlands in Vila Real de Santo António on 20 February 2025. [5]
Having joined Manchester United at the age of five, [6] Kukonki has since progressed through various youth levels. He is part of the U18 team. On matchday 14 of the 2024–25 Premier League, Kukonki was named on the bench against Arsenal, [7] [8] but did not come on as Manchester United lost 2–0. [9] He was also an unused substitute in Premier League games against Newcastle United, Southampton, and Manchester City. [10] [11] [12]
Kukonki featured on the bench in a Europa League quarter-final first leg game against Olympique Lyonnais, and the return leg against the same opponents. [13] [14]
Godwill Kukonki is known for his "overpowering physicality and athleticism", and "possesses aerial dominance, composure on the ball, great awareness and a sense of positioning coupled with tackling and ball-playing skills". [15] As he is also left footed, Kukonki has been compared to Manchester City's Joško Gvardiol. [16]