When Billericay Town goalkeeper Bailey Vose was sent off late on at Maidstone United in August 2021, Blues manager Kevin Watson turned to his bench, bringing on 18-year-old goalkeeper Luis Shamshoum for his senior debut to see out the final few minutes.
Fast forward fourteen days and Shamshoum was pulling on a Billericay shirt ready to make his full debut away at Dorking Wanderers, a side that would go on to win promotion that season. He kept The Blues in the game, making a number of fine saves in front of a 750+ crowd, earning himself Man of the Match.
It was a dream start to his senior football career.
The 22-year-old’s passion for football was evident from an early age, and his talent between the sticks earned him a place at Southend United’s academy, spending five years there from U10s through to U15s.
Shamshoum was keen to refer to Southend as, “the club I support and love”, fulfilling every child’s aspiration of representing their beloved club at such an early stage of his career. It was at Southend where he believes his development skyrocketed.
Coached in the academy by Terry Mason and Reece Ottley, both now at Arsenal, Southend was Shamshoum’s first experience of elite-level coaching. This coaching laid the foundation for the next step in his career.
That next step was Billericay Town. Struggling in the National League South, joining the Essex-club marked a significant turning point in his career. Spending four years at the club, Shamshoum made the leap from youth football to the first team and eventually earned his first men’s contract in 2021/22. However, it was his full senior debut that remains a memorable moment.
“It was a special moment in my career, one that I still look back on and watch the highlights of to this day,” Shamshoum remembers of his first start for Billericay in the National League South. At just 18 years old, he was called upon to deputise for suspended first-choice keeper Vose.
Despite Billericay losing 2-1, Shamshoum’s performance was outstanding. “I was awarded Man of the Match and received so much praise from so many people – it was one of the best days of my life,” he recalls.
It was also a testament to the trust placed in him by then-manager Watson. “I managed to pull off five decent saves, it felt amazing hearing the applause of a big crowd every time I made a save,” Shamshoum explains. However, as if often the case with young goalkeepers, game time was hard to come by.
The goalkeeper embarked on several loan spells away from Billericay to gain experience, and those experiences, he believes, were crucial to his development.
“I’ve been at many clubs, most of them on loan, but I’d say the clubs that have impacted me the most have been Southend United, where I was coached by some fantastic people, and Billericay, where I had Alan Julian as my mentor,” he says. “Looking up to him has made me the goalkeeper I am today. I’ve learned so much from him.”
After Julian’s departure in 2020, Shamshoum worked with goalkeeping coach Ben Sewell, both at Billericay and later at Hashtag United, who he credits as another key character in his footballing development.
Departing Billericay in 2023, his journey took him to Step 5 of the non-league pyramid. Earning valuable experience at various Essex-clubs including White Ensign, Great Wakering Rovers, and Hullbridge Sports, before landing at Grays Athletic this season.
It was at Chadfields where Shamshoum has continued his development under the guidance of experienced goalkeeper Danny Sambridge. “He helps me tweak parts of my game, which has been really valuable,” he says.
One of the most significant days of his career so far came in May 2024, in the FA Vase – a competition renowned for giving non-league clubs a day under the Wembley arch. Playing for Great Wakering Rovers, Shamshoum played a crucial role in helping his team reach the final, saving the decisive penalty in the penalty shootout against Worcester City.
Wakering went on to lose 0-3 to fellow Essex side Romford at Wembley, but Shamshoum remains incredibly proud of playing at England’s national stadium. “It was a dream come true,” he says simply.
While is club career is intriguing, Shamshoum’s international experience has provided some of the fondest memories of his young career. Eligible to represent Palestine through his grandfather, he received his first call up to the national team setup at just 16 years old.
“My first call-up was for the U18s West Asian Cup when I was only 16, and it was hosted in Palestine, in Ramallah in the West Bank,” he explains. “I’m so happy that my first-ever call-up for Palestine was in Palestine itself, and I got to experience it in the Holy Land.”
Since then, he has also featured for the U23 squad, traveling to Jordan for the Asian Cup qualifiers and later to Tunisia for an international friendly. “Once again, I was treated like a king – five-star hotels, amazing Arabic food, it was fantastic,” he says.
At 22, Shamshoum’s career is still blooming, but he has some clear goals in mind. “My main goal at the moment is just to get as many appearances as possible at the highest level I can,” he says. “I’d also love to earn a promotion at some point – that’s something I haven’t experienced yet but would love to. However, in terms of goals and ambitions, it’s going to be very hard to top playing at Wembley,” he continues.
With an already unique and successful career behind him, Shamshoum is a young goalkeeper with a brilliant story. Wherever his journey takes him next, whether that’s into deepest darkest Essex or to the hotels of the Middle East, one thing is for sure – he has plenty more chapters left to write.
