Britt Assombalonga has ‘nothing left to prove’ - but striker reveals Harborough Town objective ‘that counts’
Harborough Town’s marquee summer signing Britt Assombalonga is excited to continue his career in non-league and insists he has ‘nothing left to prove’.
The former Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough striker, once bought by Boro for £15 million, has taken a step down in the twilight years of his career.
Assombalonga most recently represented League Two side Barnet before joining Harborough. Before that, the 33-year-old was with Turkish clubs Demirspor, Antalyaspor and Amed Sportif.
The former DR Congo international retains a fire in his belly and he’s determined to help Harborough in their debut National League North campaign, even if he has already accomplished all he wanted to as a player.
“There’s nothing left to prove,” Assombalonga admitted in a recent interview with the Bees’ in-house writer, Ben Monti.
“Even now, I take every game as it comes, every training session as it comes, and for me, football is… football is enjoyment.
“You enjoy it from the minute you start playing when you weren’t making any money. So, for me, no, it’s just the same; it doesn’t change for me. I still enjoy playing football.”
Assombalonga hopes to excite Harborough supporters with goals aplenty in the English sixth tier, but it’s not the on-field achievements he wants to be remembered for most.
The striker added: “I think for me, first and foremost, it’s not even just about the footballing side. It’s you as a person.
“You want to walk into a building, and everyone be like, ‘He was a good guy’. The footballing side comes second; you as a person counts more.
“Even though I’ve had the experience in the league and stuff like that, it doesn’t make me any different to anyone else.
“As long as you’re a good person and try your best, I think that goes a long way. You never know what opportunities might come up in the future.
“Someone might pick up the phone, have to ask for a reference and be like, ‘What’s Britt like as a person?’, rather than, ‘What’s Britt like as a footballer?’.
“You can watch me play football, and anyone can make a judgment on that, but really the person is what counts.”
Working on his coaching badges alongside his Harborough playing duties, Assombalonga feels he has found the perfect balance at the Beehive.