Ipswich Town: Everything you need to know about Armando Broja

Broja was seen as a huge talent at youth level (Image: PA)

A level above

Broja, born in Slough to Albanian parents from Koplik, has always loved football.

“My earliest memory of football was playing at the park with my two cousins, my aunt and my mum,” he told Chelsea’s official website. “We always had a little kickabout - I was only about three at the time. Ever since I was born, I was always with a ball at my feet. Football was something that instantly clicked with me and has always been a massive part of my life."

At the age of seven, when he started playing properly at Buckinghamshire youth side Burnham Juniors, he began to show what he could do. His coach, John McAteer, had to limit him to three touches at a time before moving the ball on to keep things fair.

“The biggest things that stood out about Armando was his will to win and how competitive he was,” he told The Athletic. “Even in training games, he would always want to win, and his finishing, even as a central midfielder, was ruthless.

“It was obvious he was going to move to a higher standard by that point, so we wanted to continue developing him in the right way.

“He did get on board with only having three touches at a time, but he didn’t always like it. Now and again, I’d pull him off for a couple of minutes to reiterate that message.”

The striker had a brief stint at Tottenham Hotspur before joining Chelsea's academy (Image: PA)

Premier League interest

During his time at Burnham Juniors, he went on trial at Reading, falling short. He kicked on the following year and quickly gained attention from Premier League duo Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur.

Fulham moved first, scouting him at a game before inviting him to a trial. He featured in a match against opponents who’d already been signed by the club, but was told to switch teams due to his quality.

Nothing materialised and, as a result, Spurs came to see him at Burnham Juniors soon after.

“I think there was a preference for him to go to Tottenham rather than Fulham,” McAteer explained. “I remember the Tottenham coach asking me about his character and Armando was someone who was at every single training session.

“He soaked everything up and had a great attitude. The only thing that stood out, and it isn’t a negative, is that if we didn’t win the game, he would have the hump about it. He has a real winning streak. I think his dad was a strong driving force in making sure Armando was the best he could be.”

He joined Spurs and stayed with them until the end of the campaign at Under-9s level. Then Broja moved again, this time joining up with Chelsea.

Broja had a difficult loan spell at Fulham last season (Image: PA)

Mixed loans and injury issues

Progressing through the youth ranks, Broja was part of the Chelsea Under-18s side that won the domestic treble of the U18 Premier League, the U18 Premier League Cup and the FA Youth Cup in 2017/18. He won the Premier League 2 with the Under-23s two years later, scoring three goals in 10 appearances, signing his first professional contract in February 2020.

Frank Lampard handed him his professional debut the following month as a replacement for Olivier Giroud in the dying stages of a 4-0 win against Everton. That summer, he followed the path of many Chelsea youngsters by joining Vitesse Arnhem on loan, bagging 10 Eredivisie goals in 2020/21.

He was rewarded with a new five-year contract and sent out on loan to Premier League rivals Southampton, scoring two goals on his debut in an 8-0 win against Newport County in the Carabao Cup. While he wasn’t prolific, he certainly caught the eye, ending his time at St. Mary’s with six Premier League goals while also becoming the first Albanian to score at the level.

There were plans for him to be used in Chelsea’s first-team squad in 2022/23, with high hopes that he could become their new starting striker. However, he suffered a knee injury in a friendly game against Aston Villa during the break for the 2022 World Cup, ruling him out for the rest of the campaign.

He was slowly brought back into their squad the following season before being sent to Fulham in January this year, with the Cottagers reportedly paying a significant fee to get the deal done. He only played eight Premier League games for them though, all off the bench, and failed to score. It clearly wasn’t the right environment for him.

The 22-year-old represented Albania at Euro 2024 (Image: PA)

International experience

Broja had two options at international level. Of course, he could represent England, where he was born, but he turned down the chance to represent the Under-21s. He stated that his desire was to play only for Albania, making his debut for them at Under-19 level in February 2019.

"It is a big decision, of course, when you choose your country to play for,” he told Goal. "I went for it because I have got Albanian blood in me, I am Albanian, my parents are Albanian so it was an easy decision.

"I thought I would love to make the people there proud and make my parents proud. I wanted to lift Albania up as a country to get us to the World Cup or Euros. That's the biggest thing for them.

"If we got to the World Cup, it would be crazy and we would make history. We have never got there before so it would be something crazy as a country, you know. I have a lot of family in Albania and I visited there every year so it is really a big part of my life."

His impressive form caught the attention of Edoardo Reja, who was brought in as manager of the men’s first team in April 2019. The following month, Broja was included in their summer training camp, setting him up to make his debut in September 2020.

He couldn’t help Albania qualify for their first World Cup, but they did reach the group stages of Euro 2024, where they were drawn in what was considered to be the ‘group of death’ alongside Spain, Italy and Croatia.

Broja led the line in their 2-1 defeat to Italy, playing 77 minutes at Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion before being hooked off with a yellow card. He was an unused substitute in the subsequent 2-2 draw against Croatia in Hamburg and was brought off the bench in the second half of their 1-0 defeat to Spain in Düsseldorf.

Although his nation finished bottom of Group B, it was clearly an experience that the 22-year-old will never forget.

Broja will compete with Liam Delap and George Hirst to lead the line for Ipswich (Image: PA)

What to expect

Unsurprisingly, Broja has always looked up to two of the best strikers in football history.

“My main footballing idol is the Brazilian Ronaldo because he was just an unbelievable player,” he revealed. “My dad first introduced me to him and I watched so many of his clips. He was strong, fast, two-footed, he had everything. That’s who I aspire to be like.

“My Chelsea idol is Didier Drogba - he was a machine, very strong, a great finisher and he had an amazing career. At Chelsea, he achieved so much and he was always the one to produce in the big games.

“One of my earliest games was when Chelsea beat Arsenal 1-0 in 2005, Drogba scored the goal with his knee. I watched many games before this, but that's a particular game that really stands out for me.”

Ultimately, he’s developed differently to his heroes. While they were predominantly seen as clinical poachers, Broja isn’t really that. He clearly has an eye for goal, but that doesn’t extend to a stunning conversion record. At club level, he’s scored 23 senior goals in 121 games. Internationally, he’s bagged five in 23 caps.

What stands out is his build and his stature. Standing at 6ft 3in, he’s a presence in the final third. He isn’t overly bulky but he’s strong and a powerful runner, working his way into pockets of space and making a nuisance of himself. He can hold the ball up and compete in the air, ticking most of the boxes for a Kieran McKenna striker.

There are clear similarities to Liam Delap and George Hirst. He’ll come in as the big name and will likely become the first-choice striker in the team. After all, he's regularly been linked with the likes of West Ham, Everton and Wolves, while AC Milan and other European sides were reportedly keen on signing him before it became clear he was heading to Suffolk.

That pedigree won’t be enough alone to see him keep his place in the starting line-up. He’ll also have to perform consistently, and if he can help fire Town to safety, Portman Road will become his new permanent home from next summer.