IN terms of knockbacks, Abu Kamara has had plenty to contend with in his young career to date.
A ‘really stressful’ summer and difficult deadline day was never going to beat him, that said.
The Lambeth-born player completed a permanent move to Hull City late on August 30, but only after the club he was departing in Norwich City had lined up a deal to sign Liverpool loanee Kaide Gordon.
After successfully completing a medical in the capital, Kamara was driven up the M1 to Leeds, where City were staying ahead of their game at Elland Road on August 31, while keeping his fingers crossed that the move would go through, which it thankfully did.
It was a testing time, but the 21-year-old has been through worse, it’s fair to say.
The pain of rejection after being shown the door by Millwall as a teenager was a considerable blow and felt raw for a while.
Creditably, it drove him on his time and he earned a full-time move to Norwich. It suggests that the winger has a bit of something about him to match his skills down the flanks.
Kamara, who honed his skills as a young player in five-a-side football cages, which are dotted across London, said: “When I was younger, I didn’t get into a club, so it was a bit hurtful. But it kept me going on and I kept pursuing my dream.
“I had a trial at Millwall when I was younger and didn’t get in and I was a bit broken by that. But after that, Norwich came calling and I went on trial there and I got in.
“My family and friends around me were so important. In my area, football is so big and just every day in the cages, we’d play football. It was almost my drive.”
On signing for Hull in the nick of time, he continued: “It was my first time in terms of being transferred permanently, so to go through that was all new to me, with new feelings and emotions.
“I am glad I experienced it, so I know what’s to come. It was really stressful (summer).”
Kamara spent a rewarding 2023-24 season on loan at Portsmouth, who were keen to sign him on a full-time basis after he became a real crowd favourite during his time at Fratton Park – a League One campaign which ended in promotion and silverware.
Kamara, who scored eight goals and registered 10 assists, was ultimately destined for East Yorkshire as opposed to the south coast, with Hull’s financial muscle blowing Pompey out of the water.
In the absence of another Londoner and crowd-pleasing talent in Jaden Philogene and key loanee Fabio Carvalho from last season, Kamara has big shoes to fill. The challenge doesn’t faze him.
Kamara, who joined for a significant seven-figure fee, said: “I saw little clips on Instagram of Philogene and Carvalho and there were a lot of highlights from them. Seeing the sort of football they were playing made me think that Hull is a great place to be for an attacker.
“I am a confident player and in one versus one or two-v-one situations, I will always try and take on my man and create something. I’m a creative player really.”
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