Louis Laurent Saha ( bear 8 August 1978 ) is a french erstwhile professional football player who played as a striker. Saha was capped 20 times for the France national team and scored four goals. A early scholar at the Clairefontaine football academy, he started his career at Metz before playing on loanword at Newcastle United. Before the start of the 2000–01 season, Saha moved to Fulham where he established himself as first-choice striker, helping them to gain promotion to the Premier League in his foremost temper with them. His performances gained attraction from Manchester United, who finally secured his bless for around £12.4 million midway through the 2003–04 season. Injuries plagued his Old Trafford career, however he did enjoy achiever with doubly winning the Premier League, the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League and besides scored six times en route to victory in the League Cup, including one goal in the concluding. Despite Saha ‘s injury woes, United headliner Wayne Rooney stated on Sky Sports that Saha was one of his favored hit partners. [ 5 ]
Reading: Louis Saha – Wikipedia
After four-and-a-half years at United, Everton took him to Goodison Park, where he opened the grade in the 2009 FA Cup Final after 25 seconds, setting the record for the fastest goal scored in FA Cup Final history. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur on a release transfer in the 2012 January transplant window. Saha made his France introduction in 2004 in a 2–0 victory over Belgium. He represented France at UEFA Euro 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, at which they reached the final examination .
early life [edit ]
Saha was born in Paris. [ 6 ] His parents were born on the island of Guadeloupe ( a department of France ), where his grandparents remain to this sidereal day. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] He has a younger baby and younger brother. [ 7 ] Saha besides revealed he and his siblings were brought up from a hard-and-fast caribbean culture. [ 7 ] His church father worked as a machinist for planes and his mother worked as a nurse. [ 11 ] Growing up in Paris, Saha said his syndicate had little money, leading him to “ never take anything for granted ”, [ 11 ] In hark back, he bought his parents a house in the West Indies, and covered his parents ’ debt. [ 11 ] Saha revealed that his father tried to make him balance his football with the rest of his education, but however, push him to make sure he “ got enough education away from football ” and supported him “ all the way in helping him ripen as a football player and as a valet ”. [ 7 ]
Club career [edit ]
Metz [edit ]
Saha began his football career at FC Soisy-Andilly-Margency in the commune of Soisy-sous-Montmorency before he joined Clairefontaine. subsequently he moved to Metz at the senesce of 15 and then signed his first professional abridge with the club at 17. [ 11 ] [ 12 ] Saha progressed to the elder team in 1997. [ 13 ] [ 4 ] Saha made his Metz debut on 8 August 1997, coming on as a late substitute against Bordeaux and scored the club ‘s one-fourth finish of the game, in a 4–1 win. [ 14 ] This turns out to be his only goal of the season, as FC Metz finished second place in the league behind RC Lens through goal differences. [ 15 ] Overall, he made 25 appearances in all competitions. The 1998–99 season saw Saha made his inaugural team opportunities, as he entirely made six appearances in all competitions. [ 16 ] Saha went on loan to Newcastle United in January 1999, scoring once against Coventry City [ 17 ] and play in a sum of 11 league games, besides scoring once in Newcastle ‘s campaign to the 1999 FA Cup Final with the only goal in the fifth round of golf clash against Blackburn Rovers. [ 18 ] Saha was however left out of the cup final team entirely by director Ruud Gullit. [ 19 ] He late reflected his time at Newcastle United, saying it made him acknowledge how hard he has to work as a football player and gaining confidence. [ 20 ] At the completion of the 1998–99 temper, Saha returned to Metz, where he made an impact, scoring seven goals in the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup, scoring against MŠK Žilina, Lokeren, Polonia Warsaw and West Ham. [ 21 ] Saha ‘s first goal for the club came on 7 August 1999, winning 3–0 against AJ Auxerre. [ 22 ] Saha later three more goals later in the 1999–2000, as he made 33 appearances and scoring 11 times in all competitions. [ 23 ] Despite being in a goal scoring form, Saha revealed that the club wanted him to “ take on a bunch more defensive duties ”, something that he was considered quitting football. [ 12 ] By the meter Saha left the club at the end of the 1999–2000 season, he netted five goals in 47 matches in a biennial spell. [ citation needed ]
Fulham [edit ]
Saha returned to England, where he was transferred to Fulham for £2.1 million in 2000. [ 24 ] Upon joining the golf club, Manager Jean Tigana said : “ Louis is a very well sign. I have known him since he was 17 and he has bang-up ability. I am indisputable he will follow the success of his contemporaries Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka. I believe he will be a very good musician in the First Division and has the right qualities to be a success in the Premiership. ” [ 25 ] Saha cursorily made an shock on his Fulham introduction, scoring his first goal of the season, in a 2–0 winnings against Crewe Alexandra in the opening game of the season. [ 26 ] This was followed up by scoring in a 3–1 win against Birmingham City. [ 27 ] Since making his debut, Saha quickly established himself in the first team, becoming the golf club ‘s first-choice hitter and along with John Collins and Lee Clark, their performance described “ populace course ” by the Evening Standard. [ 28 ] [ 29 ] He then scored eight goals in four matches between 5 September 2000 and 16 September 2000, scoring against Northampton Town ( twice ), Barnsley ( hat–trick ), Burnley ( doubly ) and Nottingham Forest. [ 30 ] His goalscoring form continued with three goals in two matches against Grimsby Town on 25 November and Derby County on 29 November 2000. [ 31 ] Saha scored two goals in two matches between 13 January 2001 and 20 January 2001 against Norwich City and Watford. [ 32 ] He then scored twice for the side, in a 4–1 win against Tranmere Rovers on 30 March 2001. [ 33 ] Saha scored three goals in two matches between 21 April 2001 and 24 April 2001 against Portsmouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers. [ 34 ] In the forwarding campaign of 2000–01 Saha scored 27 league goals to fire Fulham into the Premier League, making him the league top–scorer. [ 35 ] At the end of the 2000–01 temper, he made 48 appearances and scoring 32 times in all competitions. For his performance, Saha was named PFA Team of the Year. [ 36 ] At the start of the 2001–02 season, Saha scored three goals in the first two league matches of the temper, coming against Manchester United and Sunderland. [ 37 ] During his first base month in the acme fledge he was named Premier League Player of the Month. [ 38 ] Saha continued to regain his first team place as the club ‘s first option striker, forming a partnership with Barry Hayles throughout the 2001–02 season. [ 39 ] Although Saha did score in the League Cup match against Derby County on 10 October 2001, he went on a three months without scoring in the league before scoring against Newcastle United, winning 3–1 on 17 November 2001. [ 40 ] however, Saha ‘s goal score class continued to dip as the 2001–02 season. [ 12 ] [ 41 ] [ 42 ] Despite this, he went on to score four more goals later in the 2001–02 season, including a brace against Chelsea. [ 43 ] At the end of the season, Saha went on to make 44 appearances and scoring nine times in all competitions. [ citation needed ] At the start of the 2002–03 temper, Saha appeared in every meet in the UEFA Intertoto Cup all up to the final and lone scored once, coming against Egaleo on 20 July 2002. [ 44 ] He played in both legs of the Intertoto Cup finals against Bologna, as they won 5–3 to win the tournament and qualify for the UEFA Cup. [ 45 ] [ 46 ] Saha scored his foremost league goal of the season, scoring from a penalty, in a 4–1 acquire against Bolton Wanderers in the open game of the season. [ 47 ] however, he suffered a hamstring wound that kept him out for the remainder of 2002. [ 48 ] It was n’t until on 5 January 2003 when Saha scored on his tax return, in a 3–1 succeed against Birmingham City in the third cycle of the FA Cup. [ 49 ] however, his refund was short–lived when he suffered another wound that saw him miss two matches. [ 50 ] It was n’t until on 1 February 2003 when Saha returned to the first team, coming on as a 69th-minute ersatz, in a 2–1 loss against Arsenal. [ 51 ] He then scored his fourth goal of the season, in a 3–0 gain against West Bromwich Albion. [ 52 ] Following his render, Saha managed to regain his first team place for the pillow of the 2002–03 season, playing in the striker status. [ 53 ] He late scored three more goals later in the 2002–03 season, including scoring two goals in two matches between 1 March 2003 and 15 March 2003 against Sunderland and Southampton. [ 54 ] As a solution, he was less fecund in 2002–03 temper, scoring seven goals in 28 appearances in all competitions. [ citation needed ] ahead of the 2003–04 season, it was announced by the club that Saha would be staying put. [ 55 ] He started the temper well, scoring in the opening game of the season, winning 3–2 win against Middlesbrough. [ 56 ] Saha then scored three goals in three matches between 14 September 2003 and 28 September 2003, scoring against Birmingham City, Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers. [ 57 ] Throughout the first half of the season, he continued to be in the foremost team unconstipated for Fulham, playing in the hitter position. [ 58 ] His goal scoring form continued by the goal of the year, including scoring three braces. [ 59 ] As a leave, Saha was named as the Player of the Month for December. [ 60 ] In his concluding season at Fulham, he contributed 15 goals in only 22 appearances before leaving in the January transmit window. [ citation needed ] It was announced on 23 December 2003 by the club that they rejected a bid from Manchester United to sign Saha, saying he was not for sale. [ 61 ] It came after when his performance at Fulham ‘s victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in October 2003 [ 62 ] was thought to be influential in persuading Alex Ferguson to sign him in 2004. [ 63 ] Around this time, Saha revealed that he had a fallen out with Manager Chris Coleman as a result of forcing his way to leave Fulham. [ 64 ] During a while of closely four years at the club, Saha scored 63 goals in total. [ citation needed ]
manchester United [edit ]
Saha was transferred to Manchester United for a fee of £12.4 million in 2004 having scored 15 goals thus far that season and impressing Alex Ferguson in Fulham ‘s 3–1 succeed at Old Trafford. Fulham were loath to sell Saha [ 65 ] but he pushed for a distribute and it finally went through on 23 January 2004. [ 66 ] A month belated, however, FC Metz took their font to FIFA ( and by and by Court of Arbitration for Sport ) after they are entitled to a contribution from Fulham as a result of Saha ‘s transfer move. [ 67 ] Two years late, the Court of Arbitration for Sport was in party favor of FC Metz and Fulham were ordered to pay. [ 68 ] Saha impressed early on, with seven goals in his 10 starting appearances of the 2003–04 season and scoring on his debut against Southampton. [ 69 ] After the equal, Manager Ferguson praised his performance. [ 70 ] In the next match, versus Everton, Saha and Ruud van Nistelrooy each scored two goals in a 4–3 succeed. [ 71 ] On 28 February 2004, he faced his former team for the first meter, scoring the lone goal for United in a 1–1 draw. [ 72 ] Throughout the match, Saha received boos and jeers from Fulham supporters. [ 73 ] He then played in both legs of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 against Porto, as Manchester United lost 3–2 on aggregate. [ 74 ] After missing two matches ascribable to an Achilles problem, Saha returned to the first team and scored in the future two matches against Arsenal and Birmingham City. [ 75 ] unfortunately, he was ineffective to play in the 2004 FA Cup Final win over Millwall, being cup-tied due to an earlier appearance with Fulham. [ 76 ] Despite this, Saha went on to make 12 appearances and scoring seven times in all competitions at the end of the 2003–04 season. [ citation needed ] The 2004–05 season was a stop-start season marred by constant injury for Saha. [ 77 ] It was n’t until on 28 August 2004 when he made his first gear appearance of the temper, coming on as a second half utility, in a 1–1 pull back against Blackburn Rovers. [ 78 ] however, Saha picked up a stifle injury playing for France against the Faroe Islands which cost him a month. [ 79 ] It was n’t until on 16 October 2004 when he returned to the first team, starting the whole game, in a 0–0 draw against Birmingham City. [ 80 ] Saha then scored his first gear goal of the season, in a 2–0 winnings against Crystal Palace in the fourth round of the League Cup on 10 November 2004. [ 81 ] shortly after, he picked up the injury again, besides playing for the national side and costing about two months out. [ 82 ] It was n’t until on 12 January 2005 when Saha returned to the starting the whole crippled, in a 0–0 draw against Chelsea in the beginning leg of the League Cup semi–finals. [ 83 ] Ten days later on 22 January 2005. He scored his second finish of the season, vitamin a well as, setting up the club ‘s beginning goal of the game, in a 3–1 win against Aston Villa. [ 84 ] however in February, the problem recurred, again leaving Saha out for a far two months. [ 85 ] At the conclusion of the 2004–05 season, Saha never in truth got going making only 11 starting appearances, 11 from the bench and scoring two goals. [ citation needed ] Over the summer Saha suffered another hamstring strain which ruled him out for the foremost three months of the 2005–06 season. [ 86 ] It was n’t until on 30 November 2005 when he scored on his first base appearance of the season, deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as, setting up the club ‘s third base finish of the game, in a 3–1 win against West Bromwich Albion. [ 87 ] Following his retort, Saha eased back into side as a bomber, making appearances in League Cup matches. [ 88 ] To the surprise of many, the french striker recaptured his initial commodity form and started banging in the goals. [ 89 ] Six goals in the League Cup run saw him assume Van Nistelrooy as the first-choice hit spouse for Wayne Rooney. [ 90 ] Saha was named a starter, over Van Nistelrooy, in the final against Wigan Athletic, and scored a goal. [ 91 ] Despite suffering from an wound along the manner, he late scored four more goals later in the 2005–06 season, including a stimulate against West Bromwich Albion on 18 March 2006. [ 92 ] At the end of the 2005–06 season, Saha went on to make 30 appearances and scoring 15 times in all competitions. [ citation needed ]
Saha, scorekeeper of United ‘s second finish, pictured during the 3–1 Manchester bowler hat acquire on 9 December 2006. Saha was chosen by Ferguson to partner aboard Rooney for the following season, after Van Nistelrooy ‘s die for real Madrid during the summer transfer window. [ 93 ] He began the 2006–07 season by scoring lone seven minutes into the first gear game against Fulham. [ 94 ] This was followed up by scoring his second finish of the season, in a 3–0 gain against Charlton Athletic, deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as, setting up the club ‘s second finish of the crippled. [ 95 ] Saha then scored doubly for the side, adenine well as, setting up the club ‘s third gear goal of the game, in a 3–2 succeed against Celtic in the UEFA Champions League. [ 96 ] He scored the winning finish away to Benfica in the UEFA Champions League and late scored in the return match. [ 97 ] Saha ‘s goal score form continued for the rest of 2006. [ 98 ] As a result, he signed an reference to his compress [ 99 ] durable to 2010, though soon after began suffering from more injury problems. [ 100 ] Groin and hamstring injuries restricted appearances and meant he lone scored one goal in the moment half of the season. [ 101 ] He returned as alternate at Roma but then soon picked up a knee injury and was therefore lacking for United ‘s 1–0 extra-time loss to Chelsea in the FA Cup final. [ 102 ] Saha ended the season with 13 goals in all competitions, largely thanks to his pre-Christmas mannequin. [ citation needed ] In the 2007–08 temper, Saha returned from injury and came as a substitute against Sunderland, scoring the winning goal. [ 103 ] On 23 September 2007, Saha won and converted a penalty against Chelsea in Chelsea ‘s inaugural crippled with Avram Grant in charge. United won the game 2–0. [ 104 ] This earned Saha a remember to the french national team after a year out. Against Arsenal, Saha came on to replace the under-performing Carlos Tevez in a 2–2 draw. He was key in setting up a goal as Cristiano Ronaldo gave United a 2–1 lead. [ 105 ] Saha continued to make appearances off the bench, but when Wayne Rooney was ruled out for a few weeks he partnered Tevez up front. [ 106 ] He then started in a match against Sunderland on Boxing Day, and scored twice, including a penalty, winning 2–0 to lift Manchester United to 1st position in the Premier League. [ 107 ] After being sidelined with a stifle injury that kept him out for a calendar month, Saha made his return in an FA Cup clash versus Arsenal on 16 February 2008, winning 4–0. [ 108 ] The succeed weekend, he came on as a utility for Ronaldo, scoring the final finish in a 5–1 mob of Newcastle United. [ 109 ] After returning to closely wide fitness, Saha ‘s injury haunts returned and forced him off with a hamstring charge during United ‘s gain over Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford. [ 110 ] Saha was ruled out for respective weeks, missing key games. [ 111 ] In the final plot of the Premier League season against Wigan Athletic, Saha was named as a substitute, but played no separate in the game. [ 112 ] In May 2008, Saha admitted that he believed his United career was in doubt. Despite his desire to stay and love for the club, he was uncertain of what the future held for him at Old Trafford. [ 113 ] Despite struggling with injuries in parts of the 2004–05 and latter parts of the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons, Saha inactive contributed 42 goals in all competitions for Manchester United in 120 appearances for the club. [ citation needed ]
Everton [edit ]
Saha joined Everton in 2008 for an undisclosed fee, [ 114 ] signing a biennial ‘pay-as-you-play ‘ conduct. [ 115 ] not match-fit at his meter of sign, Saha offered to train without being paid while hurt. [ 115 ] Saha made his Everton debut on 22 September coming on as a substitute in a league plot away to Hull City, [ 116 ] before scoring his first goal, against his former club Fulham, at Goodison Park on 1 November. [ 117 ] This was followed up by scoring a brace, vitamin a well as, setting up the club ‘s first finish of the game, in a 3–1 win against West Ham United. [ 118 ] however during a 1–0 gain against Tottenham Hotspur on 30 November 2008, he suffered a stifle injury and was substituted in the sixtieth moment. [ 119 ] Following this, it was announced that Saha would be out for two months. [ 120 ] It was n’t until on 22 February 2009 when Saha returned to the first team, coming on as a 74th-minute stand-in, in a 0–0 absorb against Newcastle United. [ 121 ] This was followed up by scoring his one-fourth league goal of the season, in a 2–0 win against West Bromwich Albion. [ 122 ] A workweek former on 8 March 2009, he came off the workbench at half-time in that season ‘s FA Cup quarter-final against Middlesbrough, scoring the achiever and helping Everton reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1995. [ 123 ] Two months former on 16 May 2009 against West Ham United, Saha scored doubly for the moment time this season, as the clubhouse won 3–1. [ 124 ] Two weeks belated in the FA Cup final, Saha scored the fastest goal in the final ‘s history after 25 seconds, though opponents Chelsea came from behind to win 2–1. [ 125 ] This broke Bob Chatt ‘s record, set 114 years earlier in the 1895 Final. [ 126 ] It was besides the fastest finish in any match at the new Wembley Stadium, beating the former record by Giampaolo Pazzini in March 2007 in an under-21 international for Italy. [ 127 ] Throughout the 2008–09 season, he established himself in the begin 11, forming a strike partnership with Yakubu. [ 128 ] At the end of the 2008–09 season, Saha went on to make 29 appearances and scoring eight times in all competitions. [ citation needed ]
Saha warming up prior to Everton ‘s pit against Fulham in 2009 Saha scored his first base goal of the 2009–10 season, after coming on as a substitute, on the possibility sidereal day of the season against Arsenal in a 6–1 frustration at Goodison. [ 129 ] His goalscoring form continued for the following two months, adding a count to seven goals, scoring against Sigma Olomouc ( doubly ), Wigan Athletic, Blackburn Rovers ( twice ) and Portsmouth. [ 130 ] He went on to a rivulet of seven goals in seven games in all competitions by the end of the year. [ 131 ] The next two months saw Saha earned two Player of the Month by the club. [ 132 ] Saha signed a biennial sign extension with Everton on 5 February 2010, keeping him at the baseball club until the end of the 2011–12 season. [ 133 ] Five days late on 10 February 2010, he scored a brace for the side, in a 2–1 acquire against Chelsea. [ 134 ] Throughout the 2009–10 season, he established himself in the begin 11, playing in the striker position, but found his goalscoring form dipped as the season progressed. [ 135 ] Despite suffering from injuries during the season along the means, Saha made 40 appearances and scored 15 times in all competitions ( 13 in the league ). [ 136 ] At the start of the 2010–11 temper, Saha continued to regain his first gear team space for the first gear four matches, including scoring his first goal in a 5–1 gain against Huddersfield Town in the second round of the League Cup. [ 137 ] however, he suffered an injury while on international duty that kept him out for a month. [ 9 ] [ 138 ] It was n’t until on 23 October 2010 when Saha returned to the first team from injury, coming on as a 61st-minute substitute, in a 1–1 tie against Tottenham Hotspur. [ 139 ] Since returning from injury, he was involved in the first gear team for the following three months, though at the same time, struggled to regain his finish scoring form. [ 140 ] This end until Saha suffered a second joint injury that saw him miss one match. [ 141 ] Saha scored his one-eighth goal in five starts against Chelsea on 29 January 2011, and continued his shape in the following home game, against Blackpool on 5 February, when he netted four goals in a 5–3 victory. It was his first hat-trick in the Premier League. [ 142 ] Saha scored again for Everton against Fulham on 19 March 2011 with a depleted justly footed drive from a free gripe, he was late stretchered off with an ankle wound and remained sidelined for the end of the season. [ 143 ] At the end of the 2010–11 season, Saha made 26 appearances and scoring nine times in all competitions. [ citation needed ] Saha made his return key for the 2011–12 temper on 30 July 2011 in a pre-season regular against the recently relegated Birmingham City at St Andrews. [ 8 ] He was substituted into the meet in the second half and scored 3 minutes into his render from wound with a abject correct footed drive from outside the box. [ 144 ] After missing four matches, Saha returned to the first base team, coming on as a 66th-minute stand-in, in a 2–0 passing against Manchester City on 24 September 2011. [ 145 ] This was followed up by making his first begin of the season for Everton in a home repair against Liverpool. Everton lost the game 2–0. [ 146 ] He then scored his foremost finish of the season in a 3–1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage after coming on as a alternate. [ 147 ] Saha continued his score in the following crippled on 26 October against Chelsea in a League Cup tie. [ 148 ] He failed to score again for Everton, a drought that included 942 straight minutes of league football. [ 149 ] Saha left Everton having scored 35 goals in 115 appearances. [ 150 ]
Tottenham Hotspur [edit ]
On 31 January 2012, Saha completed a free transfer motion to Tottenham Hotspur, signing a six-month compress. He was given the number 15 jersey, concluding wear by Peter Crouch. [ 151 ]
Read more: Azerbaijan Premier League
Less than a week by and by he made his introduction against Liverpool coming on as a substitute for Emmanuel Adebayor in a 0–0 draw. [ 152 ] He made his full introduction in the identical adjacent league regular against Newcastle United, scoring doubly in a 5–0 succeed. [ 153 ] On 26 February 2012, he made it three goals in three games for his new club when he scored the possibility goal in Tottenham ‘s North London bowler hat frustration against Arsenal, 5-2. [ 154 ] He scored his fourth goal, in all competitions, for the baseball club against Bolton Wanderers to make it 3–1 to Tottenham with the survive kick of the game to send his side through to the FA Cup semi-finals against London rivals Chelsea. [ 155 ] Following his successful short spell with Tottenham, Saha reported that he was despairing to seal a long condition deal at White Hart Lane, citing Harry Redknapp as a bad agent in his upturn in form. [ 156 ] On 13 July 2012, it was confirmed that Saha was released after his narrow expired at the end of the season. [ 157 ]
sunderland [edit ]
Saha coming on for his Sunderland debut as a substitute On 16 August 2012, Sunderland confirmed the sign language of Saha on a annual deal. [ 158 ] He made his debut two days late, coming on as a substitute in a 0–0 describe with Arsenal. [ 159 ] His contract was mutually terminated on remove deadline day January 2013. [ 160 ] During Saha ‘s time at Sunderland, he made only 14 appearances and failed to score a one goal. [ 161 ]
latium [edit ]
On 6 February 2013, Saha signed a six-month sign with italian club Lazio. [ 162 ] The following day, he was presented by the club. [ 163 ] Saha made his debut for Lazio, coming on as a alternate on 9 February 2013 in a equal against Napoli. [ 164 ] however, he found his toy time limited, largely coming on as a utility, as he went on to make six appearances for the club. [ 165 ] Despite being acute to stay at the club beyond the 2012–13 temper, Saha was released at the goal of the short-run deal. [ 166 ]
Post-playing career [edit ]
Saha playing aboard Jesper Blomqvist during Manchester United ‘s charity couple against Barcelona on 2 September 2017 On 8 August 2013, date of his birthday, Saha announced his retirement from professional football via Twitter. [ 167 ] Saha joined other retire players at a Testimonial match for his former Spurs teammate Ledley King on 12 May 2014. Coming on as a second-half substitute he scored a hat-trick against a line-up of current Tottenham players. [ 168 ] Three years belated on 2 September 2017, he once again joined other retire players for a charity match against Barcelona that Manchester United won 3–0. [ 169 ]
Saha ‘s speak at the Web Summit in 2016 Following his retirement from professional football, Saha created a private network for pro athletes and entertainers called AxisStars. [ 11 ] [ 170 ] [ 171 ] In December 2015, Saha said he would be suing a UK bank after it was revealed that a bungled investment scheme resulted in him losing “ around six figures. ” [ 11 ] He besides published his first ledger titled “ Thinking Inside the Box ? “. [ 172 ] [ 173 ] [ 174 ]
International career [edit ]
Saha represented France at assorted young levels and scored the winning finish in the 1997 UEFA european Under-18 Championship against Portugal. [ 175 ] Saha said he wanted to play for France and put his name in the short–list to be called up to the national squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup but due to his goal scoring shape dip during the 2001–02 season, Saha acknowledged that he would be improbable to be in the team for the tournament, which turned out to be true. [ 12 ] It was not until 2004 that Saha finally earned his inaugural full detonator, marking his debut with a goal in a 2–0 victory over Belgium on 18 February. [ 176 ] That summer he was besides selected for the UEFA Euro 2004 team. [ 177 ] Saha then scored his second base finish for France, scoring the national team ‘s third finish of the game, in a 4–0 gain against Andorra on 28 May 2004. [ 178 ] Having appeared in the foremost two matches as an unused stand-in in the Group Stage, he made his first appearance of the tournament against Switerzland, coming on as a 75th-minute utility, and set up a goal for Thierry Henry to score the national team ‘s second finish of the game, winning 3–1. [ 179 ] however, Saha played 18 minutes, having come on as a 72nd-minute substitute, as France lost 1–0 against Greece in the quarter–finals, eliminating the home slope from the UEFA Euro. [ 180 ] Two years late, Saha was called up to the national team police squad for the FIFA World Cup, earning his first base call-up in about a year. [ 181 ] He made his first appearance for the national side in about a year, starting a match against Denmark on 31 May 2006 and set up France ‘s first goal of the game, in a 2–0 win. [ 182 ] Saha made his inaugural appearance of the World Cup, coming on as a 69th-minute substitute, in a 0–0 hook against Switerzland. [ 183 ] Saha contributed to France reaching the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final, but he was suspended for the concluding against Italy after receiving a yellow poster during the semi-final victory over Portugal. [ 184 ] After the end of the World Cup tournament, Saha was called up to the France police squad for the catch against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which he started the whole game, in a 2–1 acquire. [ 185 ] Saha then followed up in his future appearance for the national side by scoring in a 3–0 winnings against Georgia. [ 186 ] A month by and by on 11 October 2006, he scored his fourth goal for France, in a 5–0 gain against Faroe Islands. [ 187 ] Saha was named in the police squad picked for the Euro 2012 qualifiers ( September 2011 ), which besides included goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, Chelsea ‘s Florent Malouda and nine other players who took function in France ‘s disappointing 2010 World Cup campaign. [ 9 ] [ 188 ] Prior to this, he had not played for his national side since November 2006 ( although he was called up by Raymond Domenech in February 2010, he withdrew from the squad due to injury ). [ 189 ] Saha made his first gear appearance for France for the foremost meter in four years, coming on as a 79th-minute substitute, in a 1–0 passing against Belarus on 3 September 2010. [ 190 ] Two years by and by on 29 February 2012, he made his hark back to the national team in a 2–1 win against Germany, in what turns out to be his last appearance for France. [ 191 ]
personal life [edit ]
In addition to speaking french, Saha speaks fluent English. He learned the language after moving to Fulham in 2000, where he experienced some initial struggles before improving. [ 28 ] [ 192 ] Saha has three children with his former partner : Stanley, Enzo and Lou. [ 7 ] [ 12 ] [ 42 ] [ 173 ] [ 193 ] [ 194 ] They split up position retirement. [ 172 ] Having previously resided in Manchester, North west England, he has since resided in the south of France. [ 11 ] [ 171 ] [ 173 ]
career statistics [edit ]
club [edit ]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other[a] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Metz | 1997–98 | Division 1 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 26 | 1 | |
| 1998–99 | Division 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Division 1 | 23 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 8 | — | 35 | 12 | ||
| Total | 47 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 13 | ||
| Newcastle United (loan) | 1998–99 | Premier League | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 2 | |
| Fulham | 2000–01 | First Division | 43 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | 48 | 32 | |
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 36 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 44 | 9 | ||
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 17 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | — | 28 | 7 | ||
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 21 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 22 | 15 | ||
| Total | 117 | 53 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 142 | 63 | ||
| Manchester United | 2003–04 | Premier League | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 |
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 2 | ||
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 19 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | 30 | 15 | ||
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 24 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | — | 34 | 13 | ||
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 17 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 5 | |
| Total | 86 | 28 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 124 | 42 | ||
| Everton | 2008–09 | Premier League | 24 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 29 | 8 | |
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 33 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | — | 40 | 15 | ||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 22 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 26 | 10 | ||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 2 | ||
| Total | 97 | 27 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 115 | 35 | ||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2011–12 | Premier League | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 4 | |
| Sunderland | 2012–13 | Premier League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 0 | ||
| Lazio | 2012–13 | Serie A | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 385 | 117 | 36 | 12 | 24 | 15 | 47 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 492 | 159 | ||
International [edit ]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 2004 | 8 | 2 |
| 2006 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 20 | 4 | |
- Scores and results list France’s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Saha goal.
Honours [edit ]
Fulham
Manchester United
Everton
France U18
Individual
References [edit ]
Read more: Ex on the Beach (British series 6)