National League North’s Harborough Town have signed experienced EFL forward, Britt Assombalonga on a free transfer.
Assombalonga’s move to the sixth-tier club comes after he was released from Barnet at the end of last season, following a return of just two goals in 18 appearances for the Bees after he joined them in October 2025.
This move also marks a return to non-league football for the 33-year-old for the first time since loan spells at Wealdstone and Braintree Town during the 2011-12 season.
Speaking to Bees Media following his move, Assombalonga explained that manager, Mitch Austin was persuasive in luring him to the club as part of initial pre-season preparations before he signed his contract.
“After speaking to the Gaffer and hearing the way he spoke about the club, the staff and the players, the move made perfect sense for me at this stage of my career.
“From the minute I stepped into the building, everyone has made me feel welcome, and it was those experiences during pre-season that helped me make up my mind.
“We will take every game as it comes, and I, along with the rest of the lads, will give everything we have to help the club succeed.”
Austin added: “We had connections through the coaching scene and, with Britt moving locally, we had the opportunity to bring him in for pre-season and see whether he still had the bit between his teeth.
“Since he walked through the door, he has shown himself to be a really enthusiastic person who loves football. He is very different from some former professionals you come across, and he is someone we are really excited to work with.
“I’m going to be on him because I want him to have a high-scoring season with us. We want to get the best out of him while making sure he enjoys his football.”
Assombalonga began his career at Watford where he only made four senior appearances amidst loan stints at Wealdstone, Braintree Town and Scunthorpe United, which saw him score 32 goals in 70 combined appearances across his three loans whilst at the Hornets.
He subsequently went on to enjoy a breakthrough 2013-14 season at Peterborough with 33 goals in 58 appearances, which earned him a move to Nottingham Forest where he managed 30 goals in 67 appearances despite having missed 14 months due to a serious knee injury.
A four-season stint at Middlesbrough followed with 47 goals in 161 appearances before he moved to Turkey’s Adana Demirspor in summer 2021 for 18 months, in which he managed 18 goals in 53 appearances.
He then rejoined Watford for six months and netted twice in 11 appearances before he returned to Turkey to join Antalyaspor then Amedspor, of which he scored nine goals in 44 combined appearances across his stints at those two latter clubs.
Assombalonga has also represented DR Congo at international level, where he has scored one goal in 10 senior caps which came against Zimbabwe in a 4-0 win at 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
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