Joseph-Désiré Job facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Joseph-Désiré Job

Job in 2015
Personal information
Date of birth	(1977-12-01) 1 December 1977 (age 47)
Place of birth	Vénissieux, France
Height	1.80 m
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
1992–1993	Vénissieux
1993–1996	Lyon
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1996–1999	Lyon	41	(11)
1999–2000	Lens	24	(4)
2000–2006	Middlesbrough	94	(19)
2002	→ Metz (loan)	13	(2)
2005–2006	→ Al-Ittihad (loan)	28	(9)
2006–2007	Sedan	28	(10)
2007–2008	Nice	12	(3)
2008–2009	Al-Kharitiyath	23	(10)
2009	Diyarbakırspor	8	(0)
2010–2011	Lierse	10	(3)
Total		281	(71)
National team
1997–2008	Cameroon	51	(9)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Joseph-Désiré Job (born 1 December 1977) is a former professional footballer. He played as a forward, which means he was a player who mainly tries to score goals. Joseph was born in France but played for the Cameroon national team.

He started his football journey in France. Later, he moved to the English team Middlesbrough. He spent six years there. People remember him most for scoring a goal in the 2004 League Cup Final. Middlesbrough won their first ever trophy that day!

Joseph also played for teams in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and Belgium. While playing for the Saudi club Al-Ittihad, he won the 2005 AFC Champions League. He even scored a goal in that final match.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Lyon

Joseph Job was born in Lyon, a city in France. He began training with the Olympique Lyonnais youth academy when he was ten years old. He played his first game for the club in the Intertoto Cup in 1997. He was nineteen years old. In that game, he scored three goals, helping his team beat Polish club Odra Wodzisław 5–2.

Moving to Lens

Job joined another French club, RC Lens, on 1 August 1999. He scored several goals for Lens in the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup. His goals helped the team reach the semi-final stage of that competition.

Time at Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough's manager at the time, Bryan Robson, signed Joseph Job in 2000. He joined for about £3 million. During his time there, he scored 19 goals in 94 games. He even scored a goal just 20 minutes into his first game against Coventry City.

Sometimes, it was hard for him to keep a regular spot in the team. So, in December 2001, he was loaned to the French club FC Metz until the end of the season.

On 30 November 2002, Joseph had a head injury during a game. He twisted his knee in training on 29 September 2003. This meant he had to miss about four months of playing. His manager, Steve McClaren, said it was a "huge blow" because Joseph had been playing very well.

The most exciting part of his time at Middlesbrough was the 2004 Football League Cup Final. On 29 February 2004, he scored a goal just two minutes into the game! This helped his team win their first ever major trophy. They beat Bolton Wanderers 2–1 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Winning this trophy also meant Middlesbrough could play in the UEFA Cup.

On 15 December 2004, Job scored another important goal. It was Middlesbrough's second goal in a UEFA Cup Group E match. They won 3–0 against Serbian club FK Partizan. This win helped them qualify for the knockout stages. Joseph also scored in the home game against Sporting CP on 10 March 2005.

In the 2005–06 season, he went on loan again. This time, he went to Saudi Arabia on 31 August 2005. He played for Al-Ittihad for a whole season. He helped this club win the AFC Champions League in 2005. He scored in the second game of the final against Al Ain FC on 5 November 2005. After his loan, his contract with Middlesbrough ended.

Playing for Sedan

Joseph Job joined the French club CS Sedan on 19 September 2006. He signed a one-year contract. He played 28 games for them and scored 10 goals.

Time at Nice

In the summer of 2007, Job moved to another French club, OGC Nice. He signed a two-year contract with them.

Success at Lierse

On 15 March 2010, Lierse SK in Belgium signed Joseph as a free player. At the start of the 2009–10 season, Lierse SK was expected to win the Belgian second division. But they were struggling when Job arrived.

Joseph played his first game against KV Turnhout. He came into the game when Lierse was losing 0–1 at home. He scored 2 goals and helped with 1 assist. This helped Lierse win the match 3–1. He also scored a goal in the game that decided the championship against Red Star Waasland. This helped Lierse win the championship! Because of his great performance, Job signed a new contract with Lierse for two more seasons on 21 June 2010.

International Career

Joseph Job was once thought to be a future player for the French national team. However, he chose to play for the Cameroon national team instead. He played his first game for Cameroon in November 1997. It was a 2–0 loss to England at Wembley Stadium.

Job played in two FIFA World Cup tournaments: in 1998 and 2002. He also played for Cameroon when they won the 2000 African Cup of Nations. He also took part in the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2001 and 2003.

After a break, he was called up to the Cameroon team again in March 2007. This was for a qualifying match against Liberia.

In January 2008, he scored three goals in two games. He scored once when Cameroon beat Sudan 2–0 in a friendly match. He scored twice when Cameroon beat Zambia 5–1 in a qualifying match for the 2008 African Cup of Nations. He was also part of the Cameroon squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.

Personal Life

Joseph Job has family members who are also footballers. He is the cousin of Marvin Matip and Joël Matip. Joël Matip used to play for Liverpool.

Career Statistics

International

Honours

Middlesbrough

• Football League Cup: 2003–04

Al-Ittihad

• AFC Champions League: 2005

Cameroon

• Africa Cup of Nations: 2000

See also

In Spanish: Joseph-Désiré Job para niños