Bivesh Gurung (born 1 July 2001) is an English footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for National League South club Maidstone United.

Bivesh Gurung
Personal information
Date of birth (2001-07-01) 1 July 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Maidstone, England
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
Maidstone United
Number 18
Youth career
2015–2017 Maidstone United
2017–2019 Crystal Palace
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2020 Trysil 11 (4)
2020 Ytterhogdal 12 (2)
2021 Margate 7 (0)
2021– Maidstone United 34 (1)
2023Tonbridge Angels (loan) 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 02:03, 8 December 2023 (UTC)

Early life

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Gurung was born in Maidstone, Kent to Nepalese parents, Bhupal and Sanu, from the Khotang District.[2]

Career

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Having first played football at his school, Gurung joined the academy of Maidstone United at the age of fourteen in 2015.[3] After eighteen months with the club's academy, he moved to Premier League side Crystal Palace, after five months of trialling.[3][4] After two years in the academy of Crystal Palace, he moved to Norway in 2019, joining Trysil, where he went on to score four times in thirteen Norwegian Fourth Division appearances.[5]

He remained in Scandinavia for the following season, joining Swedish side Ytterhogdal. He scored twice in twelve league appearances for the side, including the only goal in a 1–0 win against Boden, but left the club at the end of 2020.[6] On his return to England, he went on trial with Premier League side Chelsea, and was named on the bench for a friendly match against Brentford B, going on to feature briefly as a substitute.[2][7][8]

Having not been offered a contract by Chelsea, Gurung dropped down to the Isthmian League, joining Margate at the beginning of the 2021–22 season.[9] After only seven league appearances, he was scouted and signed by former side Maidstone United, now in the National League South, but featured sparingly in his first season with the club as they achieved promotion to the National League. Despite starting the following season with more game time, including scoring his first goal for the club, he was sent on a one-month loan to National League South side Tonbridge Angels in January 2023, reuniting with former manager Jay Saunders, whom he had worked with at both Margate and Maidstone United.[10]

On his return to Maidstone United, he established himself in the first team squad, before extending his contract in May 2023, despite the club's relegation back to the National League South.[11] The following season, having helped Maidstone United to a 2–0 win against Chesham United in the FA Cup first round proper, he was named as a starter in the club's second round match against League Two side Barrow. With the score at 1–1, Gurung received the ball on the edge of the area from Sam Bone, before driving a shot past Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman into the top left-hand corner of the goal.[12] The match-winning strike was later voted 'goal of the round', with Gurung crediting his mother for the goal, revealing that she had encouraged him to shoot more.[13][14]

Style of play

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Gurung describes himself as "a defensive midfielder, a bit like a deep-lying playmaker", a position in which he has flourished.[8] During his second spell with Maidstone United, he was also utilised as a central defender.[15]

Career statistics

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As of 8 December 2023[16][17][18]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Trysil 2019 4. divisjon 11 4 0 0 2[a] 0 13 4
Ytterhogdal 2020 Division 2 12 2 1[b] 1 0 0 13 3
Margate 2021–22 Isthmian League 7 0 3[c] 0 1[d] 0 11 0
Maidstone United 2021–22 National League South 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
2022–23 National League 16 1 0 0 3[e] 0 19 1
2023–24 National League South 33 0 2[f] 1 1[g] 0 36 1
Total 34 1 2 1 4 0 40 2
Tonbridge Angels (loan) 2022–23 National League South 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Career total 65 7 6 2 7 0 78 9
  1. ^ Appearances in 3. divisjon playoffs
  2. ^ Appearances in the Svenska Cupen
  3. ^ Appearances in FA Cup qualification
  4. ^ Appearances in FA Trophy qualification
  5. ^ One appearance in the Kent Senior Cup, two appearances in the FA Trophy
  6. ^ Appearances in the FA Cup
  7. ^ Appearances in the FA Trophy

References

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  1. ^ Bivesh Gurung at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ a b "Bivesh Gurung: The Nepalese talent leaving his mark in England". sajhakhel.com. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b Limbu, Lex (23 February 2017). "Maidstone United's Bivesh Gurung to join Crystal Palace". lexlimbu.com. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Youth player snapped up by Palace". Kent Messenger Maidstone. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2023 – via PressReader.
  5. ^ Bivesh Gurung at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
  6. ^ "Bivesh Gurung matchhjälte för Ytterhogdal mot Boden" [Bivesh Gurung match hero for Ytterhogdal against Boden]. aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 5 October 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Nepali Origin Bivesh Gurung Is On Trial With Chelsea !". goalnepal.com. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Bivesh Gurung testas av Chelsea: "Sverige fortfarande aktuellt"" [Bivesh Gurung is tested by Chelsea: "Sweden still relevant"]. fotbolltransfers.com (in Swedish). 29 March 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  9. ^ Townsend, Ian (2 September 2021). "Bivesh Gurung swaps Sweden for the seaside". isthmian.co.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Maidstone midfielder travels down the A26". tonbridgeangels.co.uk. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Bivesh extends stay". maidstoneunited.co.uk. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Gurung screamer fires non-league Maidstone into third round". bbc.co.uk. 2 December 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  13. ^ Tucker, Craig (3 December 2023). "Maidstone United FA Cup hero Bivesh Gurung credits mum Sanu for his winning goal against Barrow". kentonline.co.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  14. ^ Tucker, Craig (8 December 2023). "Larry Lineker praises Bivesh Gurung's 'brilliant' FA Cup winner for Maidstone United as strike voted goal of the round". kentonline.co.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  15. ^ Tucker, Craig (24 November 2023). "Maidstone United midfielder Bivesh Gurung speaks about his new role in central defence". kentonline.co.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  16. ^ Bivesh Gurung at Soccerway
  17. ^ "Margate – Appearances – Bivesh Gurung – 2021-2022". footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  18. ^ "Maidstone United – Appearances – Bivesh Gurung – 2022-2023". footballwebpages.co.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2023.