Gaël Clichy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gaël Clichy

Clichy with Manchester City, celebrating winning the Premier League in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Gaël Dimitri Clichy
Date of birth	(1985-07-26) 26 July 1985 (age 40)
Place of birth	Toulouse, France
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Left-back
Youth career
1990–1996	Hersoise
1996–1997	Matador F.C
1997–1998	Muret
1998–2000	Tournefeuille
2000–2002	Cannes
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2003	Cannes	15	(2)
2003–2011	Arsenal	187	(1)
2011–2017	Manchester City	138	(2)
2017–2020	İstanbul Başakşehir	87	(3)
2020–2023	Servette	79	(1)
Total		506	(9)
International career
2004–2005	France U21	13	(0)
2008–2013	France	20	(0)
Managerial career
2023–	France U21 (assistant)
Medal record Men's football Representing  France UEFA European Under-17 Championship Runner-up 2002
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gaël Dimitri Clichy (born 26 July 1985) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a left-back. He is currently the assistant manager for the France national under-21 team. Clichy was known for his amazing stamina and speed. He was also good at tackling and moving forward with the ball.

Clichy was born in Toulouse, France. He started his football journey at amateur clubs. In 2001, he joined the professional club Cannes. He made his first team debut in the 2002–03 season. In 2003, Arsène Wenger, the manager of Arsenal, convinced him to move to England.

In his first season with Arsenal (2003–04), Clichy was part of the famous "Invincibles" team. They went the whole league season without losing a single match! At just 18 years old, he became the youngest player to win a Premier League medal. After a few years, he became Arsenal's main left-back. He also won the 2004 FA Community Shield with Arsenal. In 2011, Clichy moved to Manchester City. There, he won two more Premier League titles (2011–12 and 2013–14) and two League Cups (2014 and 2016). In 2017, he left England to play for İstanbul Başakşehir in Turkey. He helped them win their national league in 2020.

Clichy played for France at many youth levels. He was part of the under-17 team that finished second in the 2002 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship. He made his debut for the senior French team in 2008. He also played for France in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012.

Early Life and Football Start

Gaël Clichy grew up in Toulouse, France. His mother, Jacqueline, was a nurse, and his father, Claude, was an educator. His father also coached and refereed some of Gaël's early games.

When Gaël was 15 and playing for Cannes, he had a serious accident. While climbing a fence, his ring got caught, and he badly injured his finger. During the surgery to fix it, his heart stopped for 15 seconds. Doctors called his survival a "miracle." This experience changed Gaël's view on life. He realized that life can be short, so it's important to enjoy every moment and live without regrets.

Learning to Play

Clichy started playing football at age five for AS Hersoise. He was naturally right-footed. However, his father encouraged him to use his left foot more. Once, during a youth match his father was refereeing, his father told him he would disallow any goal scored with his right foot! This helped Clichy develop his left foot so well that it became his main foot.

After playing for a few local clubs, Clichy joined AS Tournefeuille in 1998. He also trained at a special regional academy called Pôle Espoirs de Castelmaurou. This academy was similar to the famous Clairefontaine academy. He trained there during the week and played with Tournefeuille on weekends.

In 2000, many professional clubs wanted to sign Clichy. He decided to join Cannes, a professional club in the south of France.

Time at Cannes

Clichy arrived at Cannes in 2000. At first, he played in the club's youth academy. He mostly played as a central midfielder. Later, he played for the club's reserve team. In the 2002–03 season, he was promoted to the main senior team. He played 15 matches for Cannes in the third French league.

Playing for Top Clubs

Arsenal Years (2003–2011)

Clichy with Arsenal

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger had been watching Clichy since he was 16. In June 2003, Wenger visited Clichy's home and offered him a contract. Wenger promised Clichy he would get to play, which convinced him and his family.

Clichy started at Arsenal as a backup to England international Ashley Cole. He made his debut on 28 October 2003 in a League Cup match. On 22 November, he played his first league game. When Cole got injured, Clichy played in nine straight matches. He also made his UEFA Champions League debut in February 2004.

On 9 May 2004, Clichy was a substitute in Arsenal's win over Fulham. A week later, Arsenal won the league without losing a single game. This made them the second team in English football history to have an undefeated league season. Because of this, Clichy, at 18 years and 10 months, became the youngest player to win a Premier League medal.

Clichy continued to be Cole's backup in the 2004–05 season. He played in the FA Cup matches, which Arsenal won that year. This was his first domestic cup trophy. In April, his season ended early due to a foot injury.

In the 2005–06 season, Clichy had a chance to play more when Cole got injured. However, Clichy also suffered a similar foot injury in November, which kept him out for four months. He returned for a Champions League semi-final match. Arsenal reached the Champions League final but lost to Barcelona. Clichy was on the bench for that match.

Becoming a Starter

Clichy defending against Antonio Valencia in the 2007–08 season.

In 2006, Ashley Cole left Arsenal. This opened the door for Clichy to become the main left-back. He had made 57 appearances for Arsenal as Cole's backup.

Clichy returned to the team in October 2006. He quickly became a regular starter. The 2007–08 season was one of his best. He played in 49 matches, including all 38 league games. He also made six assists. For his great performances, Clichy was named to the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Team of the Year. Arsenal gave him a new contract until 2012.

In the 2008–09 season, Clichy sometimes captained the team. He scored his first professional goal on 1 November 2008 against Stoke City. Later that season, he missed games due to a back injury. This injury returned in the 2009–10 season, causing him to miss more time.

Clichy started the 2010–11 season as the main left-back. He scored his second career goal on 2 March 2011 in an FA Cup match. In total, Clichy played 264 matches and scored two goals for Arsenal.

Manchester City (2011–2017)

Clichy taking a throw-in for Manchester City in April 2012, against former club Arsenal.

On 4 July 2011, Gaël Clichy joined Manchester City. He signed a four-year deal. He made his first appearance for City during their US tour. His first competitive game was against Manchester United in the 2011 FA Community Shield.

Clichy quickly became the first-choice left-back for Manchester City. On 13 May 2012, the last day of the Premier League season, Clichy played the full match as City won 3–2 against Queens Park Rangers. This victory secured the Premier League title for City. It was Clichy's second Premier League winner's medal.

In May 2013, Clichy signed a new four-year contract with City. He won another Premier League title in May 2014. On 30 November 2014, he scored his first goal for Manchester City in a 3–0 win against Southampton FC.

On 25 May 2017, Manchester City announced that Clichy would be leaving the club.

İstanbul Başakşehir (2017–2020)

On 7 July 2017, Clichy moved to Turkey to play for İstanbul Başakşehir. He signed a three-year contract.

On 19 July 2020, Clichy helped Başakşehir win their first-ever league title. He provided the assist for the only goal in their win over Kayserispor.

Servette (2020–2023)

On 2 December 2020, Clichy joined Servette in the Swiss Super League. He signed an 18-month contract. He played for Servette until 2023.

International Career

Youth Teams

Clichy played for many of France's youth teams. He played for the under-15 team in 2001. He then played for the under-17 team. In 2002, his team reached the final of the 2002 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, but they lost to Switzerland.

He also played for the under-18 and under-19 teams. Later, he joined the under-21 team. He helped them win the 2004 Toulon Tournament.

Senior Team

Clichy challenging for the ball with Zlatan Ibrahimović of Sweden at UEFA Euro 2012.

On 10 September 2008, Clichy made his debut for the senior national team in a World Cup qualification match against Serbia.

He was chosen for France's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played one match in the tournament against South Africa. He was also part of the UEFA Euro 2012 squad. He played in two group matches and the quarter-final. His last international appearance was in 2013.

Coaching Career

In August 2023, Clichy became an assistant coach for the French junior team and the French Olympic team. He works alongside his former teammate Thierry Henry.

Sponsorship

In 2012, Gaël Clichy signed a sponsorship deal with Puma, a German sportswear company. He wore their evoSPEED football boots.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Honours and Awards

Arsenal

• Premier League: 2003–04 (The Invincibles!)
• FA Community Shield: 2004

Manchester City

• Premier League: 2011–12, 2013–14
• Football League Cup: 2013–14, 2015–16
• FA Community Shield: 2012

Istanbul Basaksehir

• Süper Lig: 2019–20

France U21

• Toulon Tournament: 2004

Individual

• PFA Team of the Year: 2007–08 Premier League

See also

In Spanish: Gaël Clichy para niños