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Gaël Givet
GaelGivet (cropped).JPG
Givet with Blackburn Rovers in 2013
Personal information
Full name Gaël Givet-Viaros
Date of birth (1981-10-09) 9 October 1981 (age 43)
Place of birth Arles, France
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2000 Monaco B 44 (1)
2000–2007 Monaco 178 (8)
2007–2008 Marseille 29 (0)
2008–2013 Blackburn Rovers 115 (3)
2013–2014 Arles-Avignon 32 (1)
2014 Evian 1 (0)
2014–2015 Arles-Avignon 50 (1)
Total 449 (14)
International career
2004–2006 France 12 (0)
Medal record
Representing  France
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up 2006
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gaël Givet (born October 9, 1981) is a former professional footballer from France. He was a strong defender, playing as a centre back or left-back. Gaël was part of the Monaco team that reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2004. He also played for the French national team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final.

Gaël Givet's Football Journey

Gaël Givet started his exciting football career in his home country, France. He played for several big clubs and even represented his national team.

Playing for Monaco

Gaël Givet began his professional journey at Monaco. He started as a left-back and later became a centre-back. His first game was in December 2000. He played for Monaco from 2000 to 2007. During this time, he played 178 league games and scored eight goals.

One of his biggest achievements with Monaco was winning the Coupe de la Ligue in 2003. He also helped his team reach the UEFA Champions League final in 2004. They lost to Porto in the final, but it was still a huge success. Gaël played 13 Champions League games that season. He was a key player in Monaco's defense, alongside other talented players.

Time at Marseille

Gaël Givet
Givet playing for Marseille in 2008

After his successful time at Monaco, Gaël Givet moved to Marseille. In the 2007–08 season, he played 29 times in the French league. He also made nine appearances in the Champions League. However, in the next season, he found it harder to get playing time.

Moving to Blackburn Rovers

In January 2009, Gaël Givet joined the English club Blackburn Rovers. He first joined on a six-month loan deal. This deal later became permanent. He played his first game for Blackburn in the FA Cup against Sunderland. His home debut was also against Sunderland, which Blackburn won 2–1.

On May 15, 2009, Blackburn made his move permanent. They signed him on a four-year contract. Gaël scored his first goal for Blackburn against Sunderland in August 2009. He scored another goal against Bolton Wanderers in February 2010. After the 2009–10 season, his teammates voted him as the Player's Player of the Year.

Key Moments at Blackburn

Gaël continued to play important roles for Blackburn. In August 2010, he played the full game in a 1–0 win against Everton. He scored a great goal against Aston Villa in the League Cup in September 2010. He also scored against Tottenham Hotspur in November 2010.

In January 2011, Gaël suffered a knee injury during an FA Cup game. He had to leave the field on a stretcher. He made 32 appearances that season.

Health Scare and Return

In August 2011, Gaël returned to play for Blackburn. He played many games, including captaining the team in a League Cup match. In October 2011, he played against Manchester City.

On December 11, 2011, Gaël had to leave a game against Sunderland. He experienced heart palpitations, which means his heart was beating too fast. He was taken to the hospital for tests. His manager, Steve Kean, later shared how serious the situation was. He said they had to get Gaël off the pitch quickly because his heart rate was very high. Thankfully, Gaël recovered well after a procedure.

In February 2012, Gaël received a red card in a game against Arsenal. He later wanted to leave Blackburn. However, he continued to play for the team. In May 2012, during a crucial game against Wigan Athletic, he had another heart scare at half-time. This happened during a difficult moment for the team, as they were facing relegation. Blackburn lost the game and was relegated from the Premier League.

Back to France: Arles-Avignon and Evian

In August 2013, Gaël Givet returned to his childhood team, Arles-Avignon. He played for them for about a year. In September 2014, he signed with Evian Thonon Gaillard. However, after playing only one game, he left Evian. He then returned to Arles-Avignon and continued his career there.

Playing for France

Gaël Givet also played for the French national team. He made his debut on August 18, 2004, in a friendly game. In 2006, he was part of the French squad that reached the FIFA World Cup Final in Germany. Although he didn't play in the final, it was a big achievement to be part of the team. He played 12 games for his country in total.

Achievements and Awards

Gaël Givet had a successful career, winning several honors:

  • Individual
    • Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2004–05

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Gaël Givet para niños

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