Tivonge Rushesha

{{short description|Zimbabwean footballer (born 2002)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Tivonge Rushesha |image = |image_size = |caption = |fullname = Tivonge Sacha Rushesha<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/siteassets/image/201920/efl-professional-retain-list--free-transfers---2018-19.pdf |title=Club list of registered players: As at 19th May 2019 |publisher=English Football League |access-date=1 September 2019}}</ref> |birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|7|24|df=y}} |birth_place = Zimbabwe |height = 1.74m<ref>https://www.tntsports.co.uk/football/tivonge-rushesha_prs564851/person.shtml</ref> |position = Midfielder |currentclub = Reading |clubnumber = 14 |youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2019 |youthclubs1 = Swansea City |years1 = 2019–2023 |clubs1 = Swansea City |caps1 = 0 |goals1 = 0 |years2 = 2023–2026 |clubs2 = Reading |caps2 = 22 |goals2 = 0 |nationalyears1 = 2018 |nationalteam1 = Wales U17 |nationalcaps1 = 2 |nationalgoals1 = 0 |club-update = 14:20, 6 May 2025 (UTC) |ntupdate = 23:07, 14 November 2023 (UTC) }}

'''Tivonge Sacha Rushesha''' (born 24 July 2002) is a Zimbabwean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League One club Reading.

== Club career == Rushesha made his Swansea City debut on 28 August 2019 as a second-half substitute in a 6–0 EFL Cup win against Cambridge United.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49302479|title=Swansea 6–0 Cambridge|publisher=BBC Sport|date=28 August 2019|access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref>

Rushesha was released by Swansea on 30 June 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Swansea City confirm retained list ahead of 2023-24 season {{!}} Swansea |url=https://www.swanseacity.com/news/swansea-city-confirm-retained-list-ahead-2023-24-season |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=www.swanseacity.com |language=en}}</ref> However, on 4 August 2023, Rushesha signed a one-year contract with League One club Reading.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Reading bring in free-agent midfielder Rushesha |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/66409032 |access-date=2023-08-04}}</ref> On 4 July 2024, Rushesha signed a new one-year contract with Reading,<ref>{{cite web |title=RUSHESHA RETURNS TO READING! |url=https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2024/july/04/rushesha-new-contract/ |website=readingfc.co.uk |publisher=Reading F.C. |access-date=4 July 2024 |date=4 July 2024}}</ref> signing another one-year contract the following summer, on 1 July 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title=RUSHESHA SIGNS NEW ROYALS DEAL |url=https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2025/july/01/Rushesha-signs-new-deal/ |website=readingfc.co.uk |publisher=Reading F.C. |access-date=1 July 2025 |date=1 July 2025}}</ref>

On 5 May 2026, Reading announced that Rushesha would leave the club once his contract expires on 30 June 2026.<ref>{{cite web |title=Released and Retained List 2026: First-Team |url=https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2026/may/05/released-and-retained-list-2026/ |website=readingfc.co.uk |publisher=Reading F.C. |access-date=5 May 2026 |date=5 May 2026}}</ref>

== International career == Rushesha was born in Zimbabwe but moved to the United Kingdom with his family in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.herald.co.zw/welsh-wonderkid-the-latest-teenage-star-weve-donated-to-the-world/|title=Welsh Wonderkid.. The latest teenage star we've donated to the world|publisher=The Herald|date=31 August 2019|access-date=1 September 2019}}</ref> He has represented Wales at the under-17 level, playing against Kazakhstan and Portugal in the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifiers in October 2018.

On 13 November 2023, Rushesha was named in the final squad for Zimbabwe's first two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Nigeria<ref>{{cite web |title=Final 23 |url=https://twitter.com/online_zifa/status/1723942796896199136 |website=twitter.com/online_zifa |publisher=Zimbabwe Football Association Twitter |access-date=14 November 2023 |date=13 November 2023}}</ref> but didn't play in either game as he was still awaiting his Zimbabwean passport.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.soccer24.co.zw/2023/11/23/revealed-why-tivonge-rushesha-was-not-part-of-warriors-matchday-squads-for-rwanda-nigeria-games/| title=Revealed: Why Tivonge Rushesha was not part of Warriors matchday squads for Rwanda, Nigeria games| work=Soccer24| date=23 November 2023| access-date=23 April 2025}}</ref>

== Career statistics == {{updated|match played 7 October 2025}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wales - T. Rushesha - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/players/tivonge-rushesha/545124/ |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=uk.soccerway.com}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan=2|Club !rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|FA Cup !colspan=2|EFL Cup !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- | rowspan="5" |Swansea City |2019–20 | rowspan="4" |Championship |0||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||1||0 |- |2020–21 |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- |2021–22 |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- |2022–23 |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !0!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0 |- | rowspan="4" |Reading |2023–24 | rowspan="3" |League One |4||0||2||0||2||0||3{{efn|name=EFL|Appearances in EFL Trophy}}||0||11||0 |- |2024–25 |18||0||2||0||0||0||2{{efn|name=EFL}}||0||22||0 |- |2025–26 |0||0||0||0||3||0||2{{efn|name=EFL}}||0||5||0 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !22!!0!!4!!0!!5!!0!!7!!0!!38!!0 |- ! colspan="3" |Career total !22!!0!!4!!0!!6!!0!!7!!0!!39!!0 |} {{notelist}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{Soccerway|545124}} * {{soccerbase|124222}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rushesha, Tivonge}} Category:2002 births Category:Living people Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Zimbabwean men's footballers Category:Welsh men's footballers Category:Wales men's youth international footballers Category:Swansea City A.F.C. players Category:Zimbabwean emigrants to the United Kingdom Category:Welsh people of Zimbabwean descent Category:Black British sportsmen Category:21st-century Black British people Category:Reading F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:21st-century British sportsmen