Emmanuel Longelo Mbule (born 27 December 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left back for club Motherwell. Longelo began his career with West Ham United and played first-team football in the EFL Cup and the Europa League before joining Birmingham City, initially on loan, in 2022. He spent the 2024âÂÂ25 season on loan at Cambridge United.
Longelo started playing Sunday league football as a nine-year old for Euro Dagenham. He joined West Ham United's under-10 side playing as a midfielder and scored five goals on his debut, against Chelsea. Due to his pace he was moved to play as a striker. Playing for West Ham's under-23 team, Longelo played as a left-back. On 21 September 2020, Longelo made his debut for West Ham in a 5âÂÂ1 EFL Cup win against Hull City.
He joined Birmingham City on a season-long loan on 30 August 2022. After recovering from injuries suffered earlier in the season, he made his debut on 1 October, starting at left wing-back in a 1âÂÂ1 draw away to Championship leaders Sheffield United. In a 2âÂÂ0 win over Queens Park Rangers on 28 October, he "received the ball on the left, twisted and turned past Ethan Laird and then found the bottom-right corner with a low curling finish" to score his first senior goal, and later gave away a penalty which was saved by John Ruddy.
Longelo signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Birmingham City on 31 January 2023. The fee, officially undisclosed, was reported by football.london as ã400,000. He lost his place for a time, but came back into the team at the end of the season, which he finished with 23 league appearances. He began the 2023âÂÂ24 season as a regular in the matchday squad, and he and Cody Drameh had a run in the starting eleven when both full back, Ethan Laird and Lee Buchanan, were injured at the same time. When Laird regained fitness, it was Longelo who lost the starting place, and after Wayne Rooney was replaced as manager in January 2024, he did not play in the league again.
Longelo was not given a squad number by Birmingham at the start of the 2024âÂÂ25 League One season, and after a proposed move to Barnsley fell through, he joined Birmingham's divisional rivals Cambridge United on 22 August 2024 on loan for the season. He made 19 appearances, scoring twice, in all competitions.
On 10 July 2025, Longelo moved to Scottish Premiership club Motherwell for an undisclosed fee, signing a two year deal through 2027, with the option of a further year to extend the contract through 2028.
Longelo was born in Barking, London, and is of Congolese descent. His older brother, Rosaire, played alongside him at West Ham before joining Newcastle United.