By appearing for Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 clash against Real Madrid, Antoine Semenyo has taken a significant step toward matching a unique record in English football that has stood for 20 years.
This record is held by former Liverpool fullback Steve Finnan, renowned not just for being one of the Premier League‘s most reliable defenders during the 2000s but also for being a popular trivia question in pub quizzes.
Finnan made history as the only player to feature in non-league football, all four tiers of the English leagues (the Premier League, Championship, League One, and League Two), the Europa League, the Champions League, and the World Cup, where he represented the Republic of Ireland in 2002.
Following his European club debut this week, Semenyo has edged closer to Finnan’s exclusive list by having played in non-league, all four English professional divisions, a World Cup, and now the Champions League.
With only the Europa League (previously known as the UEFA Cup) remaining, the 26-year-old now stands equal with former Southampton and Liverpool forward Rickie Lambert, who also experienced playing in non-league, all four English tiers, the Champions League, and a World Cup (with a two-minute appearance for England in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup).
Alongside Semenyo and Lambert, several other prominent players have come close to replicating Finnan’s impressive career progression, but none have quite achieved it. For instance, Newcastle’s Dan Burn has played in non-league, all four professional tiers and the Champions League, while Arsenal defender Ben White has competed in all four English pro divisions and the Champions League but has not yet played in the World Cup or non-league football.
With plenty of time ahead and his career just beginning to peak, Semenyo is now the closest player to join Steve Finnan on the trivia pedestal of football achievements.
How Semenyo Achieved This
Steve Finnan kicked off his career in the Football Conference with Welling United, eventually making his way to the Championship with Birmingham City and Fulham, League One with Fulham and Notts County, and League Two with Notts County.
He transitioned to the Premier League with Fulham, Liverpool, and Portsmouth (interspersed with a year in LaLiga at Espanyol). He played in the Europa League and celebrated winning the Champions League with Liverpool in the 2004-2005 season, also representing the Republic of Ireland in the 2002 World Cup, where his team was eliminated by Spain in the round of 16.
Here’s a chronological breakdown of Semenyo’s path toward potentially mirroring Finnan’s remarkable career across various competitions:
Non-League: Bath City (2017-18)
After demonstrating his talent in trials with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Crystal Palace, Semenyo signed his first professional contract with Bristol City in January 2018. Shortly after, he was loaned to Bath City, where he scored six goals in 16 matches before returning to his parent club.
Championship: Bristol City (2017-2023)
Semenyo spent six seasons at Bristol City, playing exclusively in the Championship. He debuted in May 2018 but spent much of his first two years on loan before earning a permanent spot in the first team. He played 112 league matches for the Robins, scoring 16 goals.
League Two: Newport County (2018-19)
Upon returning from Bath City, Semenyo was loaned to Newport County in League Two for the next season. He netted three goals in 21 appearances but was part of the squad that shocked former Premier League champions Leicester City in the FA Cup’s third round.
League One: Sunderland (2019-20)
Semenyo’s loan at Newport was followed by another loan, this time to Sunderland for the latter half of the 2019-20 season. He made seven appearances but did not score, in what turned out to be a forgettable loan.
Premier League: Bournemouth (2022-26)
Despite interest from Crystal Palace, Bournemouth signed Semenyo in January 2022 for about £10.5 million following an excellent run of form in the Championship with Bristol City during the first half of the 2021-22 season.
Initially taking some time to adjust to the Premier League, he eventually made his mark as one of the standout forwards, scoring 30 league goals in 101 appearances over the subsequent three seasons.
FIFA World Cup: Ghana (2022)
Semenyo was called up for Ghana in May 2022 and made the World Cup squad the following November. He appeared as a substitute in two matches in Qatar, where the Black Stars were eliminated in the group stage.
Champions League: Manchester City (2026)
After beginning the 2025-26 season with 10 goals, Semenyo joined City in January, triggering the £64 million release clause from his Bournemouth contract. He continued to excel, scoring seven goals in his first 13 matches for his new club across all competitions.
Given his recent performance, it was unsurprising that Pep Guardiola selected the in-form winger to play against Real Madrid, although his Champions League debut fell short of expectations, with City suffering a 3-0 defeat due to a remarkable display from Federico Valverde.