Armand Traoré facts for kids
Traoré with Nottingham Forest in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Armand Mouhamed Traoré | ||
| Date of birth | 8 October 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Châtenay-Malabry, France | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–1999 | Suresnes | ||
| 1999–2004 | Racing Paris | ||
| 2004–2005 | Monaco | ||
| 2005–2006 | Arsenal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2011 | Arsenal | 13 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | → Portsmouth (loan) | 19 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | → Juventus (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2011–2016 | Queens Park Rangers | 87 | (2) |
| 2016–2018 | Nottingham Forest | 30 | (0) |
| 2018 | → Cardiff City (loan) | 4 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | Çaykur Rizespor | 0 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Cardiff City | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 163 | (4) | |
| International career | |||
| 2007–2008 | France U19 | 4 | (0) |
| 2008–2010 | France U21 | 5 | (0) |
| 2011–2018 | Senegal | 7 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Armand Mouhamed Traoré, born on October 8, 1989, is a former professional footballer. He played as a left back. Traoré grew up in the Arsenal Academy. He was born in France and played for France's youth teams. Later, he chose to play for Senegal, his parents' home country, at the senior level.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Starting at Arsenal
Armand Traoré began his youth football journey in France. He played for Suresnes, Racing Paris, and Monaco. Traoré joined Arsenal on August 1, 2005.
He mostly played for Arsenal's reserve team at first. However, he got to play in a special game for Dennis Bergkamp in July 2006. This was the first game at Arsenal's new stadium, Emirates Stadium.
Traoré signed a professional contract with Arsenal in August 2006. He made his first team debut in the League Cup on October 24, 2006. He played in the final of the League Cup in 2007, but Arsenal lost to Chelsea. By the end of the 2006–07 season, he had played seven games.
For the 2007–08 season, Traoré wanted to show his skills to manager Arsène Wenger. He played well for the reserve team and scored some goals. He made his first Premier League appearance on April 5, 2008, against Liverpool. He played as a left-winger in some games, helping Arsenal score. In August 2008, Traoré signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal.
In 2009, Traoré returned to Arsenal and aimed to earn a regular spot. He played as a left-back when other players were injured. He started several games, including matches against Sunderland and Chelsea. He helped Arsenal stay near the top of the Premier League. By the end of the 2009–10 season, he had played fourteen games.
Traoré played his last games for Arsenal in the 2011–12 season. He helped Arsenal qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stage. On August 28, 2011, he played a full game against Manchester United. He played a total of 32 games for Arsenal before moving to another club.
Playing on Loan from Arsenal
On August 21, 2008, Traoré joined Portsmouth on a loan for the season. This was to get more experience playing in first-team games. He made his debut against Manchester United. He also helped set up a goal in a game against Tottenham Hotspur.
Traoré scored his first Premier League goal on May 18, 2009, for Portsmouth against Sunderland. He played 19 Premier League games and scored one goal for Portsmouth. He felt his time at Portsmouth helped him become a better player.
On August 31, 2010, Traoré went on loan to the Italian club Juventus. He missed some time due to an injury. He made his debut for Juventus in November 2010. He also started a UEFA Europa League match. Traoré mostly spent his time on the bench at Juventus. He played ten games in Serie A, Italy's top league. After his loan, he returned to Arsenal in the summer of 2011.
Playing for Queens Park Rangers
On August 30, 2011, Traoré moved to Queens Park Rangers (QPR). He signed a three-year contract.
He made his QPR debut on September 12, 2011, in a game against Newcastle United. In his next game, he helped set up two goals in a 3–0 win. He played as both a left-back and a left midfielder. Traoré was called up to play for Senegal in the 2012 African Cup of Nations. After returning, he continued to play for QPR.
In the last game of the 2011–12 season, QPR played Manchester City. QPR needed a win to stay in the Premier League. Traoré came on as a substitute and helped set up a goal that gave QPR a 2–1 lead. Even though Manchester City scored two late goals to win the league, QPR still stayed in the Premier League because another team lost. Traoré played 23 games that season.
At the start of the 2012–13 season, Traoré had an ankle injury. He returned in August 2012 but then had another leg injury. He continued to play as a left-back for QPR despite some minor injuries. However, QPR was relegated to the Championship league in April 2013. Traoré played 28 games that season.
Before the 2013–14 season, QPR tried to sell Traoré, but he stayed. He scored his first goal for QPR on January 11, 2014, in a 3–1 win. He then played as a left midfielder for a couple of months. He even won an award for being the "Player of the Month." Traoré helped QPR reach the Championship playoff final in 2014. QPR won the final 1–0 against Derby County at Wembley and were promoted back to the Premier League. He played 24 games and scored two goals that season.
For the 2014–15 season, Traoré became a regular player for QPR. He played as a left-back and left-midfielder. However, he faced competition from other players and had injury problems. He suffered a calf injury that kept him out for the rest of the season. QPR was relegated to the Championship again. He played 17 games that season.
In the 2015–16 season, Traoré was still recovering from his injury and did not play any games for QPR. He left the club at the end of that season.
Playing for Nottingham Forest
On July 29, 2016, Traoré signed a three-year deal with Nottingham Forest. He had missed the previous season due to injury.
He made his Nottingham Forest debut in a League Cup game against Doncaster Rovers. He competed for the left-back position with other players. Traoré had several injuries between November and March, including a knee injury. He returned in March 2017 and played more games. However, more injuries kept him out for the rest of the 2016–17 season. He played 13 games that season.
Before the 2017–18 season, Traoré worked hard to stay fit. He started the season well, helping Nottingham Forest keep a clean sheet in their first game. He became a regular player at left-back. He also played as a left-midfielder sometimes. He suffered a hamstring injury in October 2017 but returned in November. In January 2018, he helped Forest win an FA Cup game against his old club, Arsenal. He played 19 games for Forest before going on loan.
On February 2, 2018, Traoré was loaned to Cardiff City. He made his debut for Cardiff City on February 3, 2018, and helped set up a goal. He scored his first goal for Cardiff City on February 13, 2018. However, injuries affected most of his time at Cardiff City. He played four games and scored one goal. After his loan, he returned to Nottingham Forest.
Later Career
On July 20, 2018, Traoré joined the Turkish club Çaykur Rizespor. He signed a two-year contract. He made his debut for the club in a Turkish Cup game in September 2018. He later left the club by agreement.
After leaving Çaykur Rizespor, Traoré returned to Cardiff City on a short contract in 2019. He did not play any games and left the club in January 2020.
Armand Traoré retired from professional football in September 2020.
Playing for His Country
France Youth Teams
Traoré played for France's national youth teams, including the under-17 and under-18 levels. He played for the under-19s, helping them try to qualify for the 2008 UEFA Under-19 Championship. He played four games for the U19 team.
He was also called up to the under-21 team in November 2008. He played in a friendly game against Denmark. He played five games for France U21.
Senegal National Team
In June 2011, Traoré decided to play for Senegal, the country his parents are from. His father also played for Senegal.
Traoré made his debut for Senegal on August 10, 2011, in a game against Morocco. He was part of Senegal's squad for the 2012 African Cup of Nations. However, he did not play in any games during that tournament. He played for Senegal again in February 2013 and in 2018. He played a total of seven games for the Senegal national team.
Personal Life
Armand Traoré grew up supporting Paris Saint-Germain. His football hero was Zinedine Zidane. He speaks both French and English. Traoré is married and has a son.
He is a Muslim and has spoken about how his faith is important to him.
Honours
Arsenal
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2006–07
Queens Park Rangers
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2014
Images for kids
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Traoré with Nottingham Forest in 2016
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Traoré playing for Arsenal in 2008.
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Traoré playing for Arsenal in 2010.
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Traoré warming up for Arsenal in 2010.
See also
In Spanish: Armand Traoré para niños
