# Junior Sambia

Salomon Sambia (born 7 September 1996), commonly known as Junior Sambia, is a French professional footballer who plays for Serie A club Empoli, on loan from Salernitana. He plays predominantly as a right back, but can also play as a defensive midfielder or winger.

## Career
### Chamois Niortais

Born in Lyon, Sambia joined the youth set-up at Niort from Mâcon in 2013. In the summer of 2014, he was awarded a first-team contract alongside fellow youth midfielder Antoine Batisse. Sambia made his senior debut for Niort on 12 September 2014 in the 1–0 defeat to Dijon at the age of 18 years and 5 days, becoming the youngest player ever to start a professional match for the club. He went on to make five league appearances in total during the 2014–15 season.

### Montpellier

In August 2017, Sambia joined Montpellier on a one-year loan with an option to buy. The option would eventually be exercised at the end of the 2017–18 season. In May 2022, his exit from Montpellier at the end of the 2021–22 season was confirmed.

### Salernitana

On 19 July 2022, Sambia signed a four-year contract with Salernitana in Italy.
On 30 August 2024, Sambia was loaned by Empoli.

## Personal life

Sambia's parents are from the Central African Republic. In April 2020, Sambia was hospitalised after becoming ill and unconscious and was treated in intensive care. He tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed into an artificial coma. However, he eventually recovered.

## Career statistics

    As of match played 25 May 2024
Appearance and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | Cup | Cup | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Chamois Niortais | 2014–15 | Ligue 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Chamois Niortais | 2015–16 | Ligue 2 | 31 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 |
| Chamois Niortais | 2016–17 | Ligue 2 | 37 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 4 |
| Chamois Niortais | 2017–18 | Ligue 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Chamois Niortais | Total | Total | 76 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 86 | 6 |
| Chamois Niortais B | 2015–16 | CFA 2 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 |
| Montpellier (loan) | 2017–18 | Ligue 1 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 34 | 3 |
| Montpellier | 2018–19 | Ligue 1 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Montpellier | 2019–20 | Ligue 1 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| Montpellier | 2020–21 | Ligue 1 | 36 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 41 | 1 |
| Montpellier | 2021–22 | Ligue 1 | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 1 |
| Montpellier | Total | Total | 141 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 162 | 6 |
| Montpellier B | 2017–18 | National 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Montpellier B | 2018–19 | National 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Montpellier B | 2019–20 | National 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 |
| Montpellier B | | | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 1 |
| Salernitana | 2022–23 | Serie A | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Salernitana | 2023–24 | Serie A | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| Salernitana | Total | Total | 40 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 269 | 12 | 24 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 302 | 14 |
* 1 2 3 4 5 Appearance(s) in the Coupe de la Ligue