Louis Saha

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Louis Saha

Personal information
Full name	Louis Laurent Saha
Date of birth	8 August 1978 (1978-08-08) (age 30)
Place of birth	Paris, France
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Everton
Number	9
Youth career
1996–1998	Metz
Senior career1
Years	Club	Apps (Gls)2
1998–2000	Metz	047 0(5)
1999	→ Newcastle United (loan)	011 0(1)
2000–2004	Fulham	117 (53)
2004–2008	Manchester United	086 (28)
2008–	Everton	024 0(6)
National team3
2004–	France	018 0(4)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14:30, 26 May 2009 (UTC). 2 Appearances (Goals). 3 National team caps and goals correct as of 13:44, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

Louis Laurent Saha (born 8 August 1978 in Paris) is a French international footballer. He currently plays for the English Premier League club Everton.

Contents 1 Club career 1.1 Metz 1.2 Fulham 1.3 Manchester United 1.4 Everton 2 International career 2.1 International Goals 3 Honours 3.1 Fulham 3.2 Manchester United 4 Career statistics 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Club career

[edit] Metz

The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article or discuss the issue on the talk page.

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (December 2008)

Louis Saha began his career with Metz in 1996, before going on loan to Newcastle United in 1999. Scoring once in 11 games he returned to Metz where he netted 5 goals in 47 matches in a 2 year spell.

[edit] Fulham

He was transferred to Fulham for £2.1 million in 2000. During a spell of nearly four years at the club, he scored 63 goals in total. In the promotion campaign of 2000–01 he scored 27 goals to fire Fulham into the Premier League.

During his first month in the top flight Saha was named Premier League Player of the Month. He scored nine goals in 44 appearances in all competitions, including scoring twice in games against Manchester United and Chelsea. He was less prolific in 2002–03, scoring seven goals. In his final season at Fulham he contributed fifteen goals in only 22 appearances before leaving in the winter transfer window.

[edit] Manchester United

Saha was transferred to Manchester United for a fee of £12.8 million in 2004 having scored 15 goals so far that season and impressing Alex Ferguson in Fulham's 3–1 win at Old Trafford. Fulham were reluctant to sell Saha^[1] but he pushed for a deal and it eventually went through on 23 January 2004.^[2]

Saha impressed early, with 7 goals in his 10 starting appearances of the 2003–04 season and scoring on his debut against Southampton.^[3] In the next match, versus Everton, Saha and Ruud van Nistelrooy each scored two goals in a 4–3 win.^[4] On 28 February, he faced his former team for the first time, scoring the only goal for United in a 1–1 draw.^[5]

He then got an international call-up for French national team, scoring on his debut versus Belgium and made the Euro 2004 squad for the tournament in Portugal. Unfortunately, he was unable to play in the FA Cup final win over Millwall, being cup-tied due to an earlier appearance with Fulham.

The 2004–05 season was a stop-start season marred by constant injury. Saha never really got going making only 11 starting appearances, 11 from the bench and scoring two goals. In September, he picked up a knee injury playing for France against the Faroe Islands which cost him a month. Then in November he picked up the injury again, also playing for the national side and costing nearly two months out. At the end of February 2005, the problem recurred, again leaving Saha out for a further two months. With serious doubts over fitness, his long term future at Old Trafford was highly uncertain. The Frenchman was again sidelined by a hamstring strain for the first three months of the new season and there was talk of him leaving in the January transfer window.

He finally returned in November 2005 and eased back into side as a sub, making appearances in League Cup matches. To the surprise of many, the French striker recaptured his initial good form and started banging in the goals. Six goals in the League Cup run saw him usurping Ruud van Nistelrooy as the first choice strike partner for Wayne Rooney. Saha was named a starter, over van Nistelrooy, in the final against Wigan Athletic, and scored a goal. For the remainder of the season, Saha was commonly picked in place of the Dutch striker.^[quantify] Saha scored 15 goals during the 2005–06 season and was chosen by Ferguson to partner alongside Rooney for the next season, after van Nistelrooy's exit for Real Madrid during the summer transfer window.

Saha began the 2006–07 season in great form, scoring only seven minutes into the first game versus Fulham.^[6] In December 2006, he signed an extension to his contract^[7] lasting to 2010, though soon after began suffering from more injury problems. Groin and hamstring injuries restricted appearances and meant he only scored one goal in the 2nd half of the season. He returned as substitute at Roma but then soon picked up a knee injury. Saha's excellent pre-Christmas form had led to him bagging 15 goals in all competitions.

In the 2007–08 season, Saha returned from injury and came as a substitute against Sunderland, scoring the winning goal.^[8] On 23 September 2007, Saha won and converted a penalty against Chelsea in Chelsea's first game with Avram Grant in charge.^[9] This earned Saha a recall to the French national team after a year out.

Against Arsenal, Saha came on to replace the under-performing Carlos Tévez in a 2–2 draw. He was key in setting up a goal as Cristiano Ronaldo gave United a 2-1 lead.^[10] Saha continued to make appearances off the bench, but when Wayne Rooney was ruled out for a few weeks he partnered Tévez up front. He started on December 26, Boxing Day. Manchester United won the game 4–0 and Saha scored two goals including a penalty to lift Manchester United to 1st position in the Premiership.

Saha made his return in an FA Cup clash versus Arsenal on 16 February 2008. The following weekend, Saha came on as a substitute for Ronaldo, scoring the final goal in a 5–1 rout of Newcastle United.^[11] After returning to nearly full fitness, Saha's injury haunts returned and forced him off with a hamstring complaint during United's win over Bolton at Old Trafford, where Saha had been looking good, causing the defense various problems. Saha was ruled out for several weeks, missing key games. In the final game of the Premier League season against Wigan Athletic, Saha was named as a substitute, but played no part in the game. 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 unsure of what the future held for him at Old Trafford.^[12]

Despite struggling with injuries in parts of the 2004–05 and latter parts of the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons, Saha still contributed 42 goals in all competitions for Manchester United in 120 appearances for the club and often assisted in setting up goals with some slick passes throughout his career with the Red Devils.

[edit] Everton

Louis Saha joined Everton for an undisclosed fee,^[13] signing a two-year 'pay-as-you-play' deal.^[14] Not match-fit at his time of signing, Saha offered to train without being paid whilst injured.^[14] He made his Everton debut on 22 September coming on as a substitute in a league game away to Hull City,^[15] before scoring his first goal against his former club Fulham at Goodison Park on 1 November.^[16] On 8 November, he scored twice and added an assist in a 3–1 victory over West Ham United.^[17]

He returned from injury with a stunning goal against West Bromwich Albion, his fourth goal of the season. During his celebration he ran up to Joleon Lescott who was on the bench. ^[18]

The following week at Goodison Park, Saha came off the bench at half-time in the FA Cup tie against Middlesbrough. With Everton trailing 1–0, his introduction helped to turn the game around and he scored Everton's winner as they went on to win 2–1. On 16 May 2009, he scored a brace to seal a 3-1 win over West Ham United.

On 30 May 2009, Louis Saha scored the fastest ever FA Cup-final goal against Chelsea after 25 seconds in the 2009 FA Cup Final, which was won 2–1 by Chelsea.^[19] This broke Bob Chatt's record which was set 114 years earlier in the 1895 Final.^[20] However, Everton went on to lose the game 2-1.

[edit] International career

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (December 2008)

Saha represented France at various youth levels and scored the winning goal in the 1997 European Under-19 Championships against Portugal.

It wasn't until 2004 that Saha finally earned his first full cap, marking his debut with a goal in a 2–0 victory over Belgium on February 18. That summer he was also selected for the Euro 2004 squad.

Saha contributed to France reaching the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final, but he was suspended for the final against Italy after receiving a yellow card during the semi-final victory over Portugal.

[edit] International Goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	February 18, 2004	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	Belgium	2 – 0	2 – 0	Friendly match
2.	May 28, 2004	Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier, France	Andorra	3 – 0	4 – 0	Friendly match
3.	September 2, 2006	Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia	Georgia	1 – 0	3 – 0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
4.	October 11, 2006	Stade Auguste Bonal, Montbéliard, France	Faroe Islands	1 – 0	5 – 0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying

[edit] Honours

[edit] Fulham

• Football League First Division: 2000–01

[edit] Manchester United

• Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08
• Football League Cup: 2005–06
• UEFA Champions League: 2007–08

[edit] Career statistics

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
France			League		Coupe de France		Coupe de la Ligue		Europe		Total
1997–98	Metz	Ligue 1	21	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	24	1
1998–99			3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	6	0
1999–2000			23	4	0	0	1	0	0	0	24	4
England			League		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
1999–2000	Newcastle United	Premier League	11	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	12	2
2000–01	Fulham	Championship	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			17	5	3	1	0	0	8	1	28	7
2003–04			21	13	1	2	0	0	0	0	22	15
2003–04	Manchester United	Premier League	12	7	0	0	0	0	2	0	14	7
2004–05			14	1	2	0	4	1	2	0	22	2
2005–06			19	7	4	2	5	6	2	0	30	14
2006–07			24	8	2	1	0	0	8	4	34	13
2007–08			17	5	2	0	0	0	5	0	24	5
2008–09	Everton	Premier League	14	6	2	2	1	0	1	0	16	8
Total	France		47	5	0	0	1	0	6	0	54	5
	England		228	88	23	8	16	12	28	5	287	110
Career Total			275	92	23	8	16	12	34	5	348	122

Statistics correct as of match played 28 February 2009

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Louis Saha FIFA competition record
• Louis Saha career stats at Soccerbase
• Profile at StretfordEnd.co.uk

France Squad v • d • e France squad – UEFA Euro 2004 1 Landreau • 2 Boumsong • 3 Lizarazu • 4 Vieira • 5 Gallas • 6 Makélélé • 7 Pirès • 8 Desailly • 9 Saha • 10 Zidane • 11 Wiltord • 12 Henry • 13 Silvestre • 14 Rothen • 15 Thuram • 16 Barthez • 17 Dacourt • 18 Pedretti • 19 Sagnol • 20 Trezeguet • 21 Marlet • 22 Govou • 23 Coupet • Coach: Santini v • d • e France squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup Runners-up 1 Landreau • 2 Boumsong • 3 Abidal • 4 Vieira • 5 Gallas • 6 Makélélé • 7 Malouda • 8 Dhorasoo • 9 Govou • 10 Zidane • 11 Wiltord • 12 Henry • 13 Silvestre • 14 Saha • 15 Thuram • 16 Barthez • 17 Givet • 18 Diarra • 19 Sagnol • 20 Trezeguet • 21 Chimbonda • 22 Ribéry • 23 Coupet • Coach: Domenech

v • d • e Everton F.C. – current squad 1 Nash · 2 Hibbert · 3 Baines · 4 Yobo · 5 Lescott · 6 Jagielka · 9 Saha · 10 Arteta · 12 Turner · 14 Vaughan · 17 Cahill · 18 Neville (c) · 20 Pienaar · 21 Osman · 22 Yakubu · 24 Howard · 25 Fellaini · 26 Rodwell · 27 Jutkiewicz · 28 Anichebe · 30 Ruddy · 32 Gosling · 35 Agard · 37 Baxter · 38 Wallace · — Coleman · - Mustafi · Manager: Moyes

Persondata
NAME	Saha, Louis Laurent
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	footballer
DATE OF BIRTH	1978-8-8
PLACE OF BIRTH	Paris, France
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH