Fourteen days in a coma fighting for his life.
After being struck down by Covid, Elton Kabangu faced his biggest battle ever – and stared death in the face. But incredibly the Belgian striker won. He didn’t just survive to tell the tale – he somehow managed to resurrect his playing career. And if Hearts were looking for someone with resilience and mental strength then they’ve found him.
Kabangu signed on loan last week from Union St-Gilloise and could make his Jambos debut today against Aberdeen at Pittodrie. The 26-year-old was flagged up by the club’s new Jamestown analytics data and is expected to take some of the burden off Hearts skipper Lawrence Shankland up front.
But it’s a miracle Kabangu is still kicking a ball. In July 2020 he contracted the Covid virus and was admitted to intensive care. For two weeks his family weren’t sure if he’d make it but Kabangu pulled through. His determination to get fit again and return to the pitch eventually earned him a move to Union from Dutch side Willem II.
Now he has landed in Edinburgh – and Kabangu admits the ordeal he faced four years ago means he’ll never take anything in life for granted. The new Hearts frontman said: “It was a tough period for me, of course. But coming back has helped with my mentality. I had my family and God – and it has made me stronger.
“It made me the person I am now. Sometimes in life you have battles and you have to try to win them. When death is so close, you realise you’re lucky you have a family and can play football.
“It makes you appreciate things more. It made me realise a lot of things. I never doubted because I’m a religious guy and I trust in God. It had to be like this.
“Every situation in my life that happened has made me stronger – and so did Covid-19. I know it didn’t happen for nothing. I spent 14 days in a coma, which is quite something. When I woke and realised everything that had happened, it was hard.
“For two weeks I didn’t know what was going on. It was more difficult for my family. I felt bad for them because they had to endure that period.
“Now my mother and my brothers are happy I’m back playing football and enjoying it. Do I want to maximise everything I have in life now? That has always been part of me.
“I always want to go to the limit and push myself. I’m that type of player. That didn’t come because of Covid. But it made me more hungry. I want it so bad now.”
Kabangu had options in this transfer window after carving out a goalscoring reputation in Holland. But he was sold on a move to Hearts by Union team-mate and former Jambos favourite Arnaud Djoum.
After not getting enough game time in Belgium, Kabangu just wants to feel loved again in Scotland. So he’s desperate to hit the ground running at the Jambos. He said: “Myself and Arnaud talked about Hearts and he was positive.
“He was happy when I signed here. The best time of his career was at Hearts. He told me if I do well here I’ll be loved. That gave me a nice feeling. Every footballer is the same – you want to be an important player for the team and be loved. That helps me perform to my best.
“I haven’t had that recently. If you don’t play you can’t feel completely happy but it was good at Union, I had some great moments and won two trophies. But I’m excited now to be at Hearts.”
Kabangu feels his attributes can make the Jambos stronger as they continue their climb back up the table. He’s got a year left on his contract at Union but right now his only focus is grabbing goals for Neil Critchley’s side – and taking some of the weight off skipper Shankland’s shoulders.
He said: “I’m ready to play and my match fitness will come. I’m ready. I can bring speed and goals, for sure. And also the mentality to win every game.
“I need to concentrate on succeeding here for six months. After that I can move forward and see future possibilities. I want to be an important player here so I’ll take responsibility.
“But I don’t need to help him (Shankland) as he’s a great player and captain of the team. He doesn’t need my help, he’s got his own name and did very well last season. But I can help the team.”