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Louis Saha

Saha in 2015

Personal information

Full name

Louis Laurent Saha

Date of birth

8 August 1978 (age 46)

Place of birth

Paris, France

Height

1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)

Position(s)

Striker

Youth career

1990–1995

Soisy-Andilly-Margency

1992–1995

Clairefontaine

1995–1997

Metz

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

1997–2000

Metz

(5)

1999

→ Newcastle United (loan)

(1)

2000–2004

Fulham

117

(53)

2004–2008

Manchester United

(28)

2008–2012

Everton

(27)

2012

Tottenham Hotspur

(3)

2012–2013

Sunderland

(0)

2013

Lazio

(0)

Total

385

(117)

International career

1998–1999

France U21

(3)

2004–2012

France

(4)

Medal record

Men's football

Representing France
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up	2006
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Winner	1997

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Louis Laurent Saha (born on August 8, 1978) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player whose main job was to score goals. Saha played 20 times for the France national team and scored four goals.

Louis Saha started his football journey at the famous Clairefontaine football academy in France. He began his professional career at Metz before joining Newcastle United on loan. In 2000, Saha moved to Fulham, where he became a key striker. He helped Fulham get promoted to the Premier League in his first season.

His great performances caught the eye of Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in England. They signed him in 2004. Even though he faced some injuries during his time at Old Trafford, he achieved huge success. He won the Premier League title twice, the UEFA Champions League in 2008, and the League Cup in 2006. In the 2006 League Cup, he was the top scorer and even scored in the final match.

After four and a half years at Manchester United, Saha moved to Everton in 2008. There, he made history by scoring the fastest goal ever in an FA Cup Final in 2009, just 25 seconds into the game.

Saha played his first game for the France national team in 2004. He represented France in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Growing Up in Paris
Playing for Clubs
Playing for France
Life After Football
Personal Details
Career statistics
- Club
- International
Honours
See also

Growing Up in Paris

Louis Saha was born in Paris, the capital city of France. His parents came from Guadeloupe, an island that is part of France. His grandparents still live there. Louis has a younger sister and a younger brother. He shared that his family had a strict Caribbean culture.

His father worked as an aircraft mechanic, and his mother was a nurse. Growing up, Louis said his family didn't have much money. This taught him to appreciate everything he had. Later, he bought his parents a house and helped them pay off their debts. Louis's father always encouraged him to balance football with his education. He supported Louis in becoming a great footballer and a responsible person.

Playing for Clubs

Starting at Metz

Saha began playing football at a local club called Soisy-Andilly-Margency. Then, he joined the famous Clairefontaine academy. At 15, he moved to Metz and signed his first professional contract at 17. He joined the senior team in 1997.

Louis Saha made his debut for Metz on August 8, 1997. He came on as a substitute and scored a goal in a 4–1 win against Bordeaux. Metz finished second in the league that season. In the 1998–99 season, he played fewer games.

Loan to Newcastle United

In January 1999, Saha went on loan to Newcastle United. He scored one goal in 11 league games. He also scored in Newcastle's journey to the 1999 FA Cup Final. However, he was not chosen to play in the final match. Saha later said that his time at Newcastle taught him how hard he needed to work.

After his loan, Saha returned to Metz. He played very well in the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup, scoring seven goals. He continued to score goals in the 1999–2000 season. By the time he left Metz in 2000, he had scored 11 goals in 33 appearances.

Time at Fulham

Saha, just after signing for Fulham, in a pre-season friendly against Tiverton Town in 2000

In 2000, Saha moved back to England and joined Fulham for £2.1 million. His manager, Jean Tigana, believed he would be a very successful player.

Saha made an instant impact at Fulham. He scored in his first game, a 2–0 win against Crewe Alexandra. He quickly became the team's main striker. In September 2000, he scored eight goals in just four matches, including a hat-trick against Barnsley.

In the 2000–01 season, Saha scored 27 league goals. This helped Fulham win the league and get promoted to the Premier League. He was the top scorer in the league that season. For his amazing performance, Saha was named in the PFA Team of the Year.

In the 2001–02 season, Saha continued his strong start by scoring three goals in the first two matches. He was even named Premier League Player of the Month in August 2001. However, he faced some injuries and scored fewer goals that season.

In the 2002–03 season, Saha helped Fulham win the UEFA Intertoto Cup. This allowed them to play in the UEFA Cup. He scored in the first league game but then suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out for a long time. Despite injuries, he still scored seven goals that season.

Saha started the 2003–04 season very well, scoring in the opening game. He continued to score regularly and was named Player of the Month for December. He scored 15 goals in just 22 games before leaving Fulham in January 2004. During his time at Fulham, Saha scored 63 goals in total.

Joining Manchester United

In January 2004, Louis Saha moved to Manchester United for £12.4 million. He had impressed their manager, Alex Ferguson, especially after a game where Fulham beat Manchester United.

Saha started strongly at Manchester United, scoring seven goals in his first ten games. He scored on his debut against Southampton. In his next game, he scored two goals in a 4–3 win against Everton. He played in the UEFA Champions League but couldn't play in the 2004 FA Cup Final because he had already played for Fulham in the competition that season.

The 2004–05 season was tough for Saha due to many injuries. He played only a few games and scored just two goals.

However, in the 2005–06 season, Saha returned to form. He scored six goals in the League Cup competition. He even started in the final against Wigan Athletic and scored a goal. He finished the season with 15 goals.

Saha, scorer of United's second goal, pictured during the 3–1 Manchester derby win on 9 December 2006.

For the 2006–07 season, Saha became a regular starter alongside Wayne Rooney. He started the season by scoring in the very first game against Fulham. He continued to score important goals, including two in the UEFA Champions League against Celtic. He signed a new contract until 2010. Despite more injuries later in the season, he scored 13 goals overall.

In the 2007–08 season, Saha scored the winning goal against Sunderland after returning from injury. He also scored a penalty against Chelsea. He continued to make appearances, often coming off the bench. He scored two goals against Sunderland on Boxing Day. However, more injuries kept him out of important games. Manchester United won the Premier League and the Champions League that season.

Despite his injury problems, Louis Saha scored 42 goals in 120 games for Manchester United.

Moving to Everton

Saha (right) alongside Sylvain Distin with Everton in 2009

In 2008, Saha joined Everton. He signed a two-year contract. He even offered to train without pay when he was injured.

Saha made his Everton debut in September 2008. He scored his first goal against his old club, Fulham. He then scored two goals against West Ham United. However, he suffered a knee injury in November and was out for two months. He returned in February 2009 and scored against West Bromwich Albion.

In the FA Cup final against Chelsea, Saha scored the fastest goal in the final's history, after just 25 seconds. This broke a record that had stood for 114 years! Even though Chelsea won the game 2–1, Saha's goal was a memorable moment. He played 29 games and scored eight goals that season.

Saha warming up prior to Everton's match against Fulham in 2009

Saha continued his good form in the 2009–10 season. He scored against Arsenal, Wigan Athletic, and Portsmouth. He also scored two goals in games against Sigma Olomouc and Blackburn Rovers. He signed a new contract with Everton in February 2010. He played 40 games and scored 15 goals that season.

In the 2010–11 season, Saha scored his first goal against Huddersfield Town in the League Cup. On February 5, 2011, he scored four goals in a 5–3 win against Blackpool. This was his first hat-trick in the Premier League. He ended the season with nine goals in 26 appearances.

Saha continued to play for Everton in the 2011–12 season. He scored against Fulham and Chelsea in the League Cup. He left Everton having scored 35 goals in 115 games.

Short Spells at Tottenham, Sunderland, and Lazio

On January 31, 2012, Saha joined Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer. He quickly made an impact, scoring two goals in a 5–0 win against Newcastle United in his second game. He also scored against Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup. He left Tottenham in July 2012 after his contract ended.

On August 16, 2012, Sunderland signed Saha for one year. He made 14 appearances but did not score any goals. His contract was ended early in January 2013.

On February 6, 2013, Saha signed a six-month contract with the Italian club Lazio. He made his debut on February 9, 2013. He played six games for Lazio, mostly as a substitute. He left the club when his contract ended.

Playing for France

Louis Saha played for France at different youth levels. He scored the winning goal in the 1997 UEFA European Under-18 Championship against Portugal.

Saha made his debut for the senior France on February 18, 2004. He scored a goal in a 2–0 win against Belgium. He was then chosen for the UEFA Euro 2004 squad. He scored his second goal for France in a 4–0 win against Andorra. He played in the tournament, helping set up a goal against Switzerland. France was knocked out by Greece in the quarter-finals.

Two years later, Saha was called up for the FIFA World Cup. He helped France reach the final. However, he was suspended for the final match against Italy because he received a yellow card in the semi-final.

After the World Cup, Saha continued to play for France. He scored against Georgia and Faroe Islands in 2006.

He returned to the national team in 2010 after a four-year break. His last game for France was on February 29, 2012, in a 2–1 win against Germany.

Life After Football

Saha playing alongside Jesper Blomqvist during Manchester United's charity match against Barcelona on September 2, 2017

On August 8, 2013, his 35th birthday, Louis Saha announced he was retiring from professional football.

Since retiring, Saha has played in charity matches. He played in a testimonial match for his former teammate Ledley King in 2014, scoring three goals. In 2017, he played in a charity match against Barcelona for Manchester United.

Saha speaking at the Web Summit in 2016

Louis Saha also created a special network for professional athletes and entertainers called AxisStars. In 2015, he published his first book, titled Thinking Inside the Box?.

Personal Details

Louis Saha speaks both French and English. He learned English after moving to Fulham in 2000.

He has three children: Stanley, Enzo, and Lou. He used to live in Manchester but has since moved to the south of France.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Europe		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Metz	1997–98	Division 1	21	1	2	0	0	0	3	0	—		26	1
	1998–99	Division 1	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	—		6	0
	1999–2000	Division 1	23	4	3	0	1	0	8	8	—		35	12
	Total		47	5	5	0	1	0	14	8	0	0	67	13
Newcastle United (loan)	1998–99	Premier League	11	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	—		12	2
Fulham	2000–01	First Division	43	27	1	0	4	5	—		—		48	32
	2001–02	Premier League	36	8	6	0	2	1	—		—		44	9
	2002–03	Premier League	17	5	3	1	0	0	8	1	—		28	7
	2003–04	Premier League	21	13	1	2	0	0	—		—		22	15
	Total		117	53	11	3	6	6	8	1	0	0	142	63
Manchester United	2003–04	Premier League	12	7	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	14	7
	2004–05	Premier League	14	1	2	0	4	1	2	0	—		22	2
	2005–06	Premier League	19	7	4	2	5	6	2	0	—		30	15
	2006–07	Premier League	24	8	2	1	0	0	8	4	—		34	13
	2007–08	Premier League	17	5	2	0	0	0	5	0	0	0	24	5
	Total		86	28	10	3	9	7	19	4	0	0	124	42
Everton	2008–09	Premier League	24	6	3	2	1	0	1	0	—		29	8
	2009–10	Premier League	33	13	1	0	1	0	5	2	—		40	15
	2010–11	Premier League	22	7	3	2	1	1	—		—		26	10
	2011–12	Premier League	18	1	0	0	2	1	—		—		20	2
	Total		97	27	7	4	5	2	6	2	0	0	115	35
Tottenham Hotspur	2011–12	Premier League	10	3	2	1	—		—		—		12	4
Sunderland	2012–13	Premier League	11	0	0	0	3	0	—		—		14	0
Lazio	2012–13	Serie A	6	0	0	0	—		0	0	—		6	0
Career total			385	117	36	12	24	15	47	15	0	0	492	159

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
France	2004	8	2
	2005	0	0
	2006	10	2
	2007	0	0
	2008	0	0
	2009	0	0
	2010	0	0
	2011	1	0
	2012	1	0
Total		20	4

Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Saha goal.

List of international goals scored by Louis Saha
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	18 February 2004	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	Belgium	2–0	2–0	Friendly
2	28 May 2004	Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier, France	Andorra	3–0	4–0	Friendly
3	2 September 2006	Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia	Georgia	1–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
4	11 October 2006	Stade Auguste Bonal, Montbéliard, France	Faroe Islands	1–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying