Marc Joel Bola (born 9 December 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left back for club Watford.
Early and personal life Bola grew up supporting Arsenal, the team he started his professional career at. He is of Congolese descent.
Career
Arsenal Born in London Borough of Greenwich, Bola joined Arsenal Academy when he was 13 after being spotted playing Sunday league football and at 16, he earned a scholarship. After progressing through the ranks, he was promoted to the reserve side. At the reserve side, Bola became a regular there and scored his first goal for the reserve side on 9 March 2016, in a 3–3 draw against Fulham U23.
Bola turned professional with Arsenal in April 2016.
Bola moved on loan to Notts County in January 2017. He made his Notts County debut on 4 February 2017, where he played 53 minutes, in a 2–0 loss against Accrington Stanley, and went on to make 13 appearances for the side before returning to his parent club at the end of the season.
In July 2017, he signed a season-long loan deal with Bristol Rovers. Bola made his Bristol Rovers debut on 16 September 2017, in a 3–0 loss against Wigan Athletic.
Blackpool He was released by Arsenal at the end of the 2017–18 season. Following his release he signed for Blackpool on a one-year contract. He was sent off in September 2018, but the club appealed to the FA who overruled it and rescinded the three-match ban.
Middlesbrough Bola joined Middlesbrough on 28 July 2019 for an undisclosed fee.Marc Bola: "Middlesbrough sign Blackpool defender" – BBC Sport, 28 July He scored on his debut for Middlesbrough in an EFL Cup tie against Crewe Alexandra on 13 August 2019. On 10 January 2020 he returned to Blackpool on loan until the end of the 2019–20 season. In September 2021, a complaint was made about a Tweet Bola had posted 9 years earlier, when he was 14 years old, and he was charged with "aggravated misconduct" by the FA. An FA hearing was concluded on 3 November 2021 which found he had shown "genuine remorse". He was not suspended and, instead, ordered to attend a face-to-face education programme.
Samsunspor On 9 July 2023, Bola signed for Turkish Süper Lig side Samsunspor for an undisclosed fee.
Watford On 6 June 2025, Bola agreed to return to England, joining Championship side Watford on a three-year deal. On 7 November 2025, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw at home against Bristol City. On 11 August 2026, he extended his contract with the club until 2030.
Career statistics
+Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsArsenal2016–17Premier League00000000002017–180000000000Total0000000000Notts County (loan)2016–17League Two130000000130Bristol Rovers (loan)2017–18League One180002030230Blackpool2018–19League One352304010432Middlesbrough2019–20Championship70001100812020–214111010004312021–222312000002512022–232501010—270Total9624031001033Blackpool (loan)2019–20League One6000000060Samsunspor2023–24Süper Lig20030——2302024–2533100——331Total531300000561Watford2025–26Championship3721010—3922026–27Championship100011—21Total382102100413Career total2597110102402859
Playing style Bola plays primarily as a left back, but can also play as a centre back and a striker.
References