Andy Rinomhota Biography | Background, Age, Club Career, International Career
This is the biography of Andrew Farai Rinomhota, also known as Andy Rinomhota, a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Cardiff City in the EFL Championship. Although he was born in England, Rinomhota represents the Zimbabwe national team.
Background
Andrew Rinomhota was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire. He has a Zimbabwean father and an English mother.
Age
Andy Rinomhota was born on April 21, 1997.
Also read: Daniel Msendami Biography | Background, Age, Club Career, International Career
Club Career
Rinomhota began his football career in the youth team of AFC Portchester. He was promoted to the first team in the Wessex League following an injury crisis and went on to score ten goals in 30 league appearances. His performances caught the attention of Reading, where he was offered a two-week trial. In April 2015, Rinomhota signed a two-year contract with Reading, with an option for a further year.
During his first season at Reading, Rinomhota primarily played for the under-18 and under-21 teams. He moved up to the under-23 team in the 2016–17 season and played in the EFL Trophy, making a total of 39 appearances in all competitions. In the summer of 2017, he was promoted to the first team and participated in their pre-season tour in the Netherlands. Rinomhota made his professional debut on August 8, 2017, in a 2–0 EFL Cup win against Gillingham, where he played the full 90 minutes. He signed a new contract with Reading on December 8, 2017, extending his stay until the summer of 2021, and again extended his contract in February 2019, committing to the club until the summer of 2022.
Rinomhota scored his first goal for Reading on April 10, 2019, in a dramatic 2–2 draw against Norwich City, netting in the seventh minute of added time. His strong performances during his debut season earned him the 2018–19 Reading Player of the Season award.
On June 24, 2022, it was announced that Rinomhota would join Cardiff City on a three-year deal starting July 1, 2022. On February 1, 2024, he moved to Rotherham United on loan until the end of the season.
International Career
In December 2017, Zimbabwe expressed interest in having Rinomhota represent their national team, a possibility due to his Zimbabwean heritage through his father. In May 2018, he was named in Zimbabwe’s provisional squad for the 2018 COSAFA Cup. However, there were challenges in finalizing his eligibility, as Zimbabwean law required him to renounce his British citizenship to obtain a local passport.
