Kamil Conteh has not been on the pitch for Bristol Rovers this year, but as he edges towards his recovery, his infectious personality is well and truly back.
The midfielder went on a journey before arriving at Bristol Rovers, moving up north in search of senior football and playing internationally for Sierra Leone.
Rising from the National League South to Sky Bet League One, this injury has been one of his toughest challenges yet. Bouncing back from a minor knee injury and a bone infection that has kept him out since Boxing Day, the midfielder can finally start to see the light at the end of the tunnel and has learned plenty of lessons along the way.
PROFESSIONAL DEBUT
Born in Lambeth, Conteh grew up supporting Manchester United and came through Crystal Palace's academy before signing his first professional contract with Watford in 2021.
Often training with the senior squad under former Premier League-winning manager Claudio Ranieri, the midfielder practised with Moussa Sissoko and Tom Cleverly to test his abilities. After working hard, he was rewarded with his first professional appearance, coming off the bench against Leicester City in the FA Cup in January 2022 alongside current Rovers forward Shaq Forde.
“It was a good day,” he said. “I remember the manager at the time, Ranieri. It was half-time, and he was saying, 'we’ve got five subs, and I’m using all of the five.' I started looking around the bench thinking, ‘this guy might come on, he might come on. Am I going to get my time?' That happened, and in the second half, the lights went out in the stadium.
“It was a good ten minutes that the lights were down. So, that added to the extra time. Time was going on, and then they said that me and Shaq were going to come on. We went on, and because we had added time, I probably played longer than I would have thought. It was a good day, and I tried to get on the ball as much could and just show everyone what I could do.”
FIRST LOAN MOVE
After playing plenty of academy football, it was time for Conteh to make his mark on the senior stage with regular appearances. The now 22-year-old switched to National League South side Braintree Town, which proved to be a very beneficial experience.
“It opened my eyes in terms of what the future would look like playing in front of fans, playing for three points and playing for something,” he stated. “In the academy, in terms of 18s and 21s, you can get trapped just playing just to play. But when I went to Braintree, I was actually playing for a league position. I was playing in front of fans every week.
"There was a good 600 or 700 at home and going away as well. I was playing on not the greatest of pitches, but if you can play on those pitches, you can play anywhere. So, that was my mindset from it. I just wanted to play as many games as I could.”
Ten league appearances and one goal for Iron got the ball rolling for Conteh, with opportunities opening up in front of him. Impressing out on loan, he started to get international attention, with Conteh receiving his first call-up for Sierra Leone.
“The way it worked out couldn’t have been any better,” he smiled. “It was three friendlies in Turkey, and it was top. I managed to play in all of the games. I think I played two 90s and played half an hour for one of them. I just enjoyed it. When they told me I was going, I was looking forward to it. There were a few players that were playing in England that I knew who were there. So, it was good to link up with them and just for my family, it was a proud moment.
“I got told by someone who works there that they were looking at me, and funnily enough, the manager at the time knew one of the Braintree staff. So, the Braintree staff were telling me that I spoke to him, and he was asking about you, and it just worked out.
“I feel like that love that I felt playing for them, I still receive today when I’m back home with my family and when I’m with them. There are a lot of people who give me a good reception for representing Sierra Leone. It’s something that I want to keep doing until I retire. Get lots of caps and qualify for AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) a lot more often than we are and, who knows, maybe a World Cup.
“My parents were buzzing. I would say my mum was buzzing, and my dad was very, very happy. I still get that reception now for representing them and I want to keep going as much as I can.
“I just remember the anthem. It was playing abroad, so obviously, it wasn’t playing in front of the fans but just the anthem and with the players that I was playing with, there were some top, top players, top, top boys, and it was just a good moment.”
MOVING TO MIDDLESBROUGH
2022 was an action-packed year for Conteh. He made his senior debut for club and country and made his first loan move away to obtain regular senior minutes before moving clubs again. However, this one was probably as, if not more, life-changing than anything he had done previously.
Upon learning that he would be departing Watford at the end of his contract, Conteh moved his life up to Middlesborough.
“I had never gone past Hertfordshire, so when they told me Middlesbrough, I didn’t think about it too much," he reflected. "I just thought it’s a Championship club. I didn’t really deep the distance. It was only when I signed that I went ‘woah, I’m actually far away from home.’
“I went up there for a week, trained and played a match, and they said they would give me two years. It was a blessing in disguise that they offered me a contract before the summer, so I could go away and enjoy it and come back for pre-season and just do what I need to do.”
A few months after moving to Middlesbrough, Conteh went out on loan again and stepped up to the National League with Gateshead, with impressive performances starting his quick climb up the football pyramid.
Playing at Wembley in the FA Trophy final and collecting the Tynesiders’ Supporters' Player of the Year award for the 2022-23 campaign, teams started to circle for his permanent signature.
GOING TO GRIMSBY
Grimsby Town won the race, with the Mariners adding Conteh to their ranks for an undisclosed fee. It was his first experience in the English Football League, with the now 22-year-old believing his loan experience at Gateshead helped him make a smooth transition.
“I was still up north but just slightly to the east,” he said. “It was another good opportunity that was given to me in terms of the manager at the time and in terms of minutes because I played a lot of games there. I thought I did considerably well in terms of playing every week, and I feel like playing at Gateshead probably helped my transition into Grimsby, playing Tuesday and Saturday. I didn’t really feel the impact of it. It was just about making sure I was on my game at all costs. So, another good experience.”
Conteh was once again turning heads after switching to Sky Bet League Two outfit Grimsby. Only 25 appearances later, he was on the move again. With a matter of days left in the 2024 January transfer window, Rovers triggered Conteh’s release clause, with the midfielder travelling back down south after spending so many years up the other end of the country.
INJURY TIME
He has played 39 times in all competitions since moving to the Gas and has quickly become a favourite in and outside the club due to his consistent performances and outgoing personality. However, he has not been available since Rovers’ 3-1 defeat away to Exeter City on Boxing Day after suffering a minor knee injury. Conteh then developed an unusual swelling in his foot and, after several tests, was diagnosed with a bone infection.
The Sierra Leone international confessed he had ‘sleepless nights’, especially with the midfielder living away from home.
“I was doing a bit of research on it and just understanding the effects of the injury, but it was tough,” he described. “A lot of sleepless nights. A lot of pain and just not knowing when I’d be back on the pitch. So, a lot of things were going through my head.
“I would say the first month of it was tough because it was around that January period after the festive period. So, not really being home and then not being home for longer because of the injury was tough, but once I was able to go back home and have some time off, I think that really helped in terms of my mind as well because I feel like during the injury, I was a shadow of who I am.
“I was a lot quieter and not really talking. I was a lot more in myself, which everyone who knows me knows that’s not me. So, I felt that time back home was good, and I feel like now, especially now as we speak, I’m back to myself.”
LONELY TIMES
During his injury, Conteh has still been a frequent face at The Quarters. However, despite still seeing all of his teammates and the staff every day, it was still a lonely place for him. With everyone going out on the grass to prepare for the next matchday, the midfielder was often working on his recovery in the gym away from everyone else.
“When I was in the gym, and the boys would go out, it took a long time for me to take it in that I would be using the gym a lot more,” said Conteh. “But then again, it’s helped in terms of how I feel now that I probably didn’t feel when I was playing.
“I’ve really focused on the strength side of me as a professional and in terms of my body. I feel like now I’m probably stronger than I was before. There are a lot more things that I’ve started to use more, like the Wattbikes. It strengthens the hamstrings, the quadriceps and the calves. I would say this injury has really helped me to focus on that stuff, and I feel like it will only hold me in good stead when I’m back on the pitch.”
Conteh has not been alone in his road to recovery. Lots of his time away from the pitch has been spent alongside close friend Promise Omochere, who has suffered a couple of his own injuries during his first season at the Gas. He admitted they have pushed each other during their time away.
“Having another face in the gym is good,” he said. “He can push me, I can push him, and once we’re all back on the pitch, it’ll just be even more fun. If we’re doing drills together, we can just bounce off each other. It’s all good things like that.”
USING HIS TIME WISELY
With the EFL schedule being one of the most intense in Europe, players have little time to think about anything apart from their next game and opponent. However, with Conteh out injured, the midfielder has had the chance to think about life in and outside of football.
“I would say I’ve probably looked at football from a different perspective,” he said. “I’ve really focused on the psychology of life, in terms of everything, to a point where I want to study it now. I’m probably going to study it in the future. Just understand the brain and understand how and why humans think a certain way. Is it because of what they have gone through?
“Is it because of what they have seen and just understanding people’s way of life? So, in that aspect, definitely. I always think about the future, but in terms of the day when I won’t be able to play again, I'm just thinking of other things that I can maybe start doing while I’m playing. So, that transition when I finish will just be easy. So, there’s that as well and also just getting around the lads as much as I can. I feel I would say I’ve probably looked at football from a different perspective. Like, I’m quite a lively person. So, just getting around the group and just keeping their heads held high.”
ALMOST BACK
Conteh is getting closer to returning to the pitch and is on the grass again after a frustrating time away. His infectious personality is well and truly back, and he is ready to make up for lost time.
“It’s good to feel the ball again,” he smiled. “I’ve never felt so excited to just run. From not running for a period of time to now being able to run, it felt so good. So, I’ve just got to keep doing all that I can.
“I do think this injury will be a blessing in disguise. I feel like something is cooking up. I’ve just got to keep doing the work I have to do and, on the pitch, when I’m back, I’m back.
“I’m big on the law of attraction. What you put out is what you get back. So, if you are positive, I believe those feelings and thoughts will come back tenfold. That’s how I roll.”
