Jean Michaël Seri facts for kids
Seri training with Nice in 2018
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Jean Michaël Seri | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 July 1991 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Grand-Béréby, Ivory Coast | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.68 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Central midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Al-Orobah | |||||||||||||||
| Number | 8 | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Africa Sports d'Abidjan | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | ASEC Mimosas | 16 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | → Porto B (loan) | 19 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Paços de Ferreira | 54 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | Nice | 103 | (12) | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2022 | Fulham | 65 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | → Galatasaray (loan) | 27 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2021 | → Bordeaux (loan) | 12 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Hull City | 76 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2024– | Al-Orobah | 5 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Ivory Coast U23 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2015– | Ivory Coast | 62 | (4) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Jean Michaël Seri, born on July 19, 1991, is a professional football player from Ivory Coast. He plays as a central midfielder for the Saudi Pro League club Al-Orobah and also represents his country, the Ivory Coast national team.
Contents
Seri's Football Journey
Starting in Ivory Coast
When Seri was young, people in his home country of Ivory Coast called him "Galla". This nickname came from his efforts to play like Marcelo Gallardo, a famous midfielder from Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain. Seri really admired Gallardo's amazing skills with the ball.
In 2001, Seri joined a football academy in Ivory Coast. This academy was started by another Ivorian footballer, Cyril Domoraud. Domoraud later said that Seri was very talented, smart, and respectful. He added that Seri was always ahead of other young players because of how well he controlled the ball.
Seri was born in Grand-Béréby, a city in the southwest of Ivory Coast. He began his youth career in July 2007 with Africa Sports d'Abidjan, a club in Abidjan. Many top clubs in Ivory Coast wanted him to play for them.
In January 2010, Seri started his senior career with ASEC Mimosas. This is the most successful football club in Ivorian history. It only took him one season to show his talent and become one of the best players in the country. Sébastien Desabre, who was ASEC Mimosas's head coach when Seri played there, praised him. He said Seri was a great listener and always had a perfect attitude. These qualities helped Seri improve steadily.
Playing in Portugal: Porto and Paços de Ferreira
On November 2, 2012, Seri moved to Portugal. He joined Primeira Liga club Porto on a loan deal. Scouts at Porto were very impressed with his skills.
However, Seri did not get a spot in Porto's main team. So, he played for the club's reserve team. He scored one goal in 19 matches in the 2012–13 Segunda Liga during his five months there in early 2013.
After his loan at Porto ended, Seri joined another Primeira Liga club, Paços de Ferreira. This happened on August 31, 2013, and he signed a three-year contract for free. He played his first game for Paços de Ferreira on September 14, 2013. It was against Benfica, and his team lost 3–1.
On March 2, 2014, Seri scored his first goal for Paços de Ferreira. This goal came in the 54th minute of a 3–1 home win against Marítimo. This win helped his team move away from the relegation zone. At Paços de Ferreira, Seri became a fan favorite. His amazing passing and ability to control the game's speed really stood out. The club finished eighth in the 2014–15 Primeira Liga. After this, Ligue 1 club Nice quickly signed Seri before bigger clubs noticed him.
Moving to France: Nice
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On June 11, 2015, Seri officially joined Ligue 1 club Nice. The transfer fee was €1 million. Nice had already announced his likely arrival before the transfer window even opened.
Seri made his first official appearance for Nice on August 8, 2015. This was in their opening match of the 2015–16 Ligue 1 season. He played the whole game, but Nice lost 2–1 at home to Monaco. On September 27, 2015, he scored his first goal for Nice. It was in the 53rd minute of a 4–1 away win against Saint-Étienne.
Playing in England: Fulham
In July 2018, Seri moved to England and joined Fulham. He signed a four-year contract that would last until 2022. Fulham also had the option to extend his contract for another year.
Seri scored his first goal for Fulham on August 26. He opened the scoring against Burnley with a fantastic shot from outside the penalty area. Seri took the ball, moved past a defender, and then curled a long-range shot into the top corner of Joe Hart's goal. This amazing goal was even named the Premier League Goal of the Month for August.
Loan to Galatasaray
On July 18, 2019, Seri joined Galatasaray in Turkey. He went there on a loan deal for one season, and Galatasaray had an option to buy him permanently. However, he eventually returned to Fulham at the end of that season.
Loan to Bordeaux
On January 30, 2021, Seri went on another loan. This time, he joined Ligue 1 club Bordeaux until the end of the season.
Back to Fulham
After his loan spell at Bordeaux ended, Seri returned to Fulham. He played his first match back for the club on August 14, 2021, against Huddersfield Town. Fulham won this Championship match 5–1.
On May 2, 2022, Seri played and scored in a huge 7–0 victory over Luton Town. This win helped Fulham secure the Championship title. Even though Fulham was promoted back to the Premier League, it was announced that Seri would leave the club when his contract ended in June 2022.
Hull City
Seri returned to the Championship league on July 8, 2022. He joined Hull City on a three-year contract. On July 30, 2022, he made his debut for Hull City and scored the winning goal in a 2–1 home victory against Bristol City. His next goal for Hull City came on April 10, 2024. He scored his team's second goal in a 2–2 draw with Middlesbrough.
Al-Orobah
On August 23, 2024, Seri signed with Al-Orobah. This club had just been promoted to the Saudi Pro League.
Seri's International Career
Seri played three matches for the Ivory Coast under-23 team. All these games were part of the 2011 CAF U-23 Championship held in Morocco. He played every minute of all three group matches against South Africa, Egypt, and Gabon. Ivory Coast finished third in their group and did not move on to the semifinals.
On February 27, 2014, Seri was called up for the first time to the senior Ivory Coast national team. This was for a friendly match against Belgium. He was a substitute and did not play in the 2–2 draw against Belgium on March 5, 2014.
Seri made his official senior international debut on September 6, 2015. This was in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Sierra Leone. He played the entire game, which ended in a 0–0 draw. On November 17, 2015, Seri scored his first senior international goal. It was in the 64th minute of a 3–0 home win against Liberia in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match.
Seri played in two of Ivory Coast's three matches at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. His team finished third in their group and did not make it to the quarter-finals. In the 2019 tournament, he also played in two group stage games, starting against South Africa and Morocco.
Seri was part of the Ivory Coast squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. He started in all four of the team's matches. They reached the round of 16 but lost to Egypt in a penalty shootout.
In December 2023, Seri was chosen for Ivory Coast's squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. His team went on to win the entire tournament!
International Goals
Jean Michaël Seri has scored several goals for his country. Here is a list of his international goals:
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 November 2015 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Liberia |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 18 November 2018 | Stade du 28 Septembre, Conakry, Guinea |  Guinea |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 3 | 19 June 2019 | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |  Zambia |
2–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 4 | 13 November 2021 | Stade de l'Amitié, Cotonou, Benin |  Mozambique |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Personal Life
Jean Michaël Seri is a devoted Christian.
Honours and Awards
Seri has won several important titles and received individual awards throughout his career:
Team Honours
- Galatasaray
- Turkish Super Cup: 2019
- Fulham
- EFL Championship: 2021–22
- Ivory Coast
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2023
Individual Awards
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2016–17 (This means he was chosen as one of the best players in the French league for that season.)
- Prix Marc-Vivien Foé: 2017 (An award for the best African player in the French Ligue 1.)
- OGC Nice Player of the Year: 2017
- Premier League Goal of the Month: August 2018
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2023 (He was selected as one of the best players in the tournament.)
