THE MAKING OF A STAR: ANTOINE SELORM SEMENYO'S JOURNEY FROM CRYSTAL PALACE REJECTION TO PREMIER LEAGUE STARDOM

By Isaac Amponsah (Dr Ike) and Aaron Kintoh

Ghana's Antoine Semenyo is making waves in the Premier League with his impressive performances for Bournemouth.

From being rejected by Crystal Palace at 15 to becoming a key player for the Cherries, Semenyo's journey is a testament to his hard work and determination.

At the age of 15, he was rejected by Crystal Palace after an eight-week trial with the Croydon-based club.

He initially decided to give up on becoming a professional footballer, but Dave Hockaday convinced him to join his youth academy program at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College.

Semenyo signed his first professional contract in January 2018 for Bristol City and joined Bath City on a short-term loan.

He made his Bristol City debut on the final day of the 2017-18 season, coming on as a second-half substitute for Lloyd Kelly in the 3-2 loss to Sheffield United at Ashton Gate.

Semenyo completed a transfer to Bournemouth worth £10 million on a four-and-a-half-year contract from Bristol City on 27 January 2023.

He made his debut for the club in a 1-0 Premier League loss at Brighton & Hove Albion on 4 February 2023 and scored his first goal on 30 April 2023 in a 4-1 home win over Leeds United.

On August 19, 2023, in Bournemouth's first away match of the 2023-24 Premier League season, Semenyo gave the team a 1-0 lead over Liverpool at Anfield, registering his second goal for the club.

On October 28, he scored Bournemouth's first league win of the season and their first under Andoni Iraola, as they beat Burnley 2-1 on matchday 10 of the Premier League. He ended his first full Premier League season with eight goals and two assists from 33 appearances.

Semenyo began the 2024-25 season by scoring an 86th-minute equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest on August 17, 2024. Two weeks later, he scored Bournemouth's first goal in a 3-2 comeback win over Everton at Goodison Park.

On November 2, 2024, he scored in Bournemouth's 2-1 win over Premier League champions Manchester City at Dean Court, ending City's eleven-month unbeaten run in the competition.

His fifth goal of the season came in a 3-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on December 22.

On January 25, 2025, he scored the fifth goal in Bournemouth's 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest, extending the club's unbeaten run in the Premier League to eleven matches.

On April 14, 2025, Semenyo scored his tenth goal of the season, giving Bournemouth a 1-0 win over Fulham and ending their run of six matches without a Premier League win.

His goal came after 53 seconds, making it Bournemouth's third-fastest Premier League goal.

He achieved a personal best in the 2024-25 Premier League season by scoring 11 goals.

On August 15, 2025, in Bournemouth's first match of the 2025-26 Premier League season, Semenyo scored two goals away against Liverpool in a 4-2 defeat.

Recently, Semenyo scored a late brace against Fulham in their 3-1 win, cementing his position as a key player for the team.

Currently, Semenyo has scored 6 goals in 7 appearances this season with a goal involvement rate of 1 per 90 minutes and provided three assists.

Since the start of April, no player has scored more Premier League goals than Antoine Semenyo .

With his impressive performance, Semenyo is now sitting second in the top 10 of the Premier League scoring charts.

His ability to stay fit and remain at the club will be crucial in determining Bournemouth's chances of securing European football next season.

Antoine Semenyo is becoming a vital component of Bournemouth's attack.

Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola on Semenyo:

“He is a player with confidence, he is growing every season. He has earned his way to the Premier League and is improving and improving.

He is adding things to his game. I hope he can get even better. I’m trying to make him not on the numbers, he won’t be better because he scores one goal more because he helps the team more.” (PL)

Additionally, Semenyo signed a contract extension at Bournemouth until 2030 on July 1, 2025, and his market value has increased significantly from £10 million to €42 million .