From Refugee Camp To Soccer Pitch: The Rise of Darboe Ebrima

As a 14-year-old, Ebrima Darboe left Gambia without his parents, hoping to find a better life.

After travelling through Libya, he arrived in Italy as a refugee following a six-month journey from his homeland.

The Italian ayslum seeker programme helped him find a home in Rieti, a town 80km from Rome.

There, he joined a local amateur football team, where he was spotted by Roma scouts.

He made his debut with the youth team in 2019 and had been playing with their Under-19 side this season.

Until last week. When the refugee from Gambia made his Serie A debut, aged just 19.

Four days later, Darboe was playing against Manchester United in the semi-finals of the Europa League.

“It’s indescribable, I don’t even know how I could explain what I’m feeling,” he told Football Italia.