Latte Lath’s journey from street games and Carrick to new start in Germany
Emmanuel Latte Lath has described how leaving Ivory Coast as a child, reuniting with his father in Italy and finding football helped shape his career. Now with Union Berlin, the 27-year-old says those early experiences gave him motivation and resilience through a difficult route into professional football.
He moved to Italy aged eight, joined Atalanta’s academy in 2015 and scored against Juventus in 2017, but then spent five years on loan at eight clubs. After a prolific spell at Swiss side St Gallen, he joined Middlesbrough in 2023, where Michael Carrick helped him settle; Atlanta United paid more than £17m for him in 2025 before his move to Germany.
In short
- Latte Lath left Ivory Coast for Italy as a child.
- Eight loans followed his early Atalanta breakthrough.
- Carrick helped him settle at Middlesbrough before his move to Germany.
Explained simply
Emmanuel Latte Lath was born in Ivory Coast and moved to Italy at the age of eight, where he reunited with his father. He found football through informal street games before joining Atalanta’s youth academy, part of the Italian club’s system for developing young players.
Breaking into senior football took time: after a promising goal against Juventus, he spent five years on loan at eight clubs. A strong spell with Swiss club St Gallen led to a move to Middlesbrough in 2023, where manager Michael Carrick helped him settle. His later transfer to Atlanta United and move to Union Berlin show how his career has crossed several leagues.
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