A familiar face back in well-known territory, Deago Dunbar-Bonnie confirmed his return to Kings Langley in early February, just over a year and a half since his first spell in WD4 came to an end. He initially headed for Northwood, spending the 23/24 season with The Woods, before starting this campaign out at Harrow Borough.

It’s from there where he signed a dual-registration deal seeing him suit up at The Orbital Fasteners Stadium once more, and he feels the time spent away has made him a better player, ready to make an impact.

“I learnt a lot at Northwood and Harrow Borough and I've played at Kings Langley before. I like the club and the set up, so I wanted to return and use what I've learnt to hopefully help the team.”

Just a couple of weeks into his return, however, the club saw a change in management, with Steve Heath replacing Jordan Parkes. The new man in the dugout seemed to like what he saw in the versatile fullback, naming him in his first three starting lineups before injury put a halt to any recent action.

The 22-year-old places value on affecting the game in more ways than one, and has adapted to the modern requirements for a man of his position, keen to offer support further up the field as well as carry out his defensive duties on the left flank.

“I would say I am a fullback that loves to get forward and also help the attack. I am hardworking and resilient and try to have pride in everything I do on and off the pitch, and hopefully with my hard work I can encourage good performances which should equal to good results.”

That work ethic and determination to succeed saw Dunbar-Bonnie start out in the academy ranks of Leyton Orient, featuring regularly for their youth sides and appearing in the first team on occasion. Trials at clubs higher up followed as the youngster’s potential became apparent, and he knows such experiences have made him who he is today and will only be of benefit to him in the long term.

“I signed for Leyton Orient when I was 15 and I learnt so many things. I was fortunate to also sign my scholarship there and make my first team debut at 16, which was a good achievement, and also just being around the first team made me mature a lot quicker.”

“My trial with Stoke was also a good experience and tested me in a good way as the quality of football was higher and the speed of the game was faster.”

The journey hasn’t been without its challenges, and he’s developed a strong mentality to help him thrive in the good times, while understanding and navigating the difficult junctures that may follow.

“The quote I will finish off with is never get too high on the highs and never get too low on the lows, and that’s helped me stay grounded when I'm doing well and kept my head up when I wasn't doing as well.”

Yet, for all his excellence in thwarting opponents and flying down the touchline on the field, it’s a different side to the fullback that may be of interest to some younger viewers. A hobby started in Covid, Dunbar-Bonnie has built up a sizeable social following with his football-related comedy clips. The media sensation has over 120,000 followers on TikTok alone, with more than 12 million likes, and he thanks the boredom of lockdown for his exponential rise.

“I started when Covid came and we had a lockdown. There was not much football going on and no one could really leave the house so I made football videos for fun and started to get good engagement. People would say my videos were hilarious and relatable which made me keep making them and now years later I have over 100,000 followers.”

Juggling his various priorities is not always easy, he admits, with social media and football at times colliding.

“It is hard sometimes as I have to make content, edit it and post it at specific times while I also have training and matches, but I enjoy it so I make it work.”

A combination of his footballing exploits and off-field profile saw Deago make the draft for the Baller League UK - an exciting six-a-side indoor tournament pitching former Premier League legends, celebrities and ex-academy players against each other.

KSI is the president of the British version, with the Baller League first starting out in Germany, and Dunbar-Bonnie will feature for VZN FC, after he was selected by another Sidemen member in manager TBJZL. Other famous faces include John Terry, Gary Lineker, Robert Pires and Luis Figo, and you can catch weekly action every Monday night on Sky Sports.

Deago, unsurprisingly, sees the venture as an amazing opportunity and his lofty ambitions don’t stop there. The future for Dunbar-Bonnie certainly looks bright and full of excitement, but he remains passionate about helping the club he now calls home again achieve success.

“I want to play football at the highest level possible and keep growing on social media. I want to help Kings Langley push on and hopefully one day even get promoted.”