Bromley have confirmed the signing of former defender Omar Sowunmi, for an undisclosed fee from National League side Sutton United.
The 28-year-old is the first new addition of the summer for Andy Woodman’s side as he prepares Bromley for their first campaign in League Two.
Sowunmi left the football club for Sutton United last summer but as a result of their relegation, he was sold to his former side.
Sowunmi’s career so far
The 6’6ft centre-back began his career with Ipswich Town, progressing through the academy and being awarded a one-year professional contract with the club.
During that season, he had loan spells with Braintree Town and Lowestoft Town, making a total of 18 appearances in his first season of professional football.
Sowunmi departed Ipswich and signed with at the time League Two side Yeovil Town ahead of the 2015/2016 season.
The Englishman spent four years with The Glovers where he made 88 appearances, and was even named as club captain in the 2018/2019 season.
Following his departure from Yeovil, Sowunmi made the move to his hometown club, Colchester United in the summer of 2019 where he made 30 appearances over two seasons.
The defender joined Bromley in 2021 for his first spell with the club. Sowunmi made 70 appearances during his time in the National League with Bromley, as well as netting 10 goals.
His impressive spell with Bromley earned Sowunmi a move back to League Two with Sutton United ahead of the 2023/2024 season. He played 43/46 games for Sutton, scoring four goals and assisting three more. Despite this, Sutton ended up relegated.
He now rejoins Bromley for his second spell with the club.
What will Sowunmi bring to Bromley?
Perhaps one of Sowunmi’s biggest strengths is his size, with the defender standing at 6’6ft tall. In the 2023/2024 season, Sowunmi won 136 aerial duels last season, proving that he knows how to use his height to his team’s advantage.
This outlines his aerial strength which is useful for set-piece plays, in both defensive and attacking scenarios, as well as defending long balls.
Sowunmi also brings a great amount of experience and leadership to this Bromley side.
The defender has made 235 career appearances, 127 of them coming at League Two level. He was also captain at Yeovil in the 2018/2019 season.
More recently, he has added goals to his game, having scored 10 goals for Bromley and four for Sutton.
Adding goals all over the pitch is a benefit for any team, and as Sowunmi has shown over the past couple of seasons, he can bring that.
Sowunmi adds familiarity, having already had one spell with the club which can be a reason for better consistency, as he is comfortable in his surroundings as well as his teammates.