Max Gradel facts for kids
Gradel with Ivory Coast in 2012
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Max-Alain Gradel | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 30 November 1987 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Winger | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | Championnet Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Lewisham College | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Leicester City | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2010 | Leicester City | 27 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | → AFC Bournemouth (loan) | 34 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | → Leeds United (loan) | 14 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Leeds United | 63 | (22) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2015 | Saint-Étienne | 101 | (31) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | AFC Bournemouth | 25 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | → Toulouse (loan) | 29 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Toulouse | 57 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2023 | Sivasspor | 100 | (21) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Gaziantep | 29 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Sakaryaspor | 2 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Amedspor | 16 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2024 | Ivory Coast | 113 | (18) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Ivory Coast Olympic | 2 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:23, 3 February 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:50, 24 March 2024 (UTC) |
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Max-Alain Gradel (born 30 November 1987) is a professional footballer from Ivory Coast. He plays as a winger, which means he plays on the sides of the field.
Max Gradel first joined the Ivory Coast national team in November 2010. He played his first game for his country on 5 June 2011. In April 2011, Gradel won two important awards at Leeds United: the Fans Player of the Year and the Players' Player of the Year. In June 2018, he moved to the French club Toulouse.
Contents
Max Gradel's Club Journey
Starting in England
Max Gradel moved to the UK from Paris, France, in 2004. He joined the Football Academy at Lewisham College. His coach, Aaron Jacob, was an important mentor for him. Max's team won a trophy in the Netherlands, with Max scoring 11 goals! He was offered a professional contract, which meant he didn't go to the Dallas Cup with his team. Max said that "Everything started at Lewisham College."
Max began playing football in Ivory Coast when he was just two years old. After Lewisham College, he had trials with big clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham United, and Leicester City. He spent four months with Arsenal before signing with Leicester.
Playing for Leicester City
Max Gradel signed his first professional contract with Leicester City on 5 May 2007. He was one of eight young players to do so. He made his first league appearance for Leicester on 9 August 2008. In that game, he helped Leicester win 2–0 against Milton Keynes Dons.
Max signed a new contract with Leicester in August 2008. He scored his first goal for the team in an FA Cup game on 14 January 2009. His first league goal was a fantastic free-kick in a 2–2 draw against MK Dons. This goal was so good that it won the "Goal of the Season" award for Leicester City. Max played 32 games that season, helping Leicester win the league and get promoted.
Loan to AFC Bournemouth
In August 2007, Max Gradel joined AFC Bournemouth on a loan deal. This meant he played for Bournemouth for a short time. He had to return to Leicester early in January 2008 due to a personal matter. However, he went back to Bournemouth on loan for the rest of the season. His good performance at Bournemouth helped him earn a new three-year contract with Leicester.
Time at Leeds United
Joining Leeds United
On 19 October 2009, Max Gradel joined Leeds United on loan. He quickly made an impact, scoring his first goal for Leeds on 31 October. Fans loved him and chanted for the club to sign him permanently. Max also wanted to stay at Leeds.
Leeds signed Max Gradel on a permanent deal on 25 January 2010. He continued to play well for the team. In the final match of the 2009–10 season, Max was sent off, but Leeds still won the game 2–1. This win meant Leeds were promoted to the Championship league!
Success in the Championship
Max Gradel missed the first four games of the 2010–11 season due to his red card from the previous season. When he returned, he quickly started scoring goals. He scored two goals in a 2–0 win against Queens Park Rangers, who were top of the league at the time.
Max's great performances caught the eye of bigger clubs. He scored many goals throughout the season, including two against Barnsley and two more against Doncaster Rovers. In April 2011, Max won both the "Player Of The Year" and "Players' Player Of The Year" awards for Leeds. He said he wanted to stay at Leeds and help them reach the Premier League.
Leaving Leeds
In the summer of 2011, there was a lot of talk about Max Gradel's future. He said he wanted to stay at Leeds, but the club had not offered him a new contract. His last game for Leeds was a 2–1 loss against Ipswich Town.
Moving to Saint-Étienne
On 30 August 2011, Max Gradel moved to the French club Saint-Étienne. He signed a four-year contract. In the 2014–15 season, Max was Saint-Étienne's top scorer in Ligue 1, scoring 17 goals and helping with three assists.
Back to AFC Bournemouth
After four years in France, Max Gradel returned to England on 4 August 2015. He rejoined AFC Bournemouth, who had just been promoted to the Premier League. Sadly, in August, Max suffered a serious knee injury that kept him out of action for six months. He made his return in February 2016 and scored his first goal back in March 2016 against Swansea City.
Playing for Toulouse
In 2017, Max Gradel was loaned to Toulouse in France. He played so well that Toulouse signed him permanently on 1 July 2018. He scored 28 goals in 68 games for the French team. In the 2019–20 season, Max scored three goals and made two assists, but his team, Toulouse, was relegated to the second division.
Time at Sivasspor
On 16 August 2020, Max Gradel joined the Turkish club Sivasspor for free. In his first season, he was named the "Süper Lig Winger of the Season" and was part of the "Süper Lig Team of the Season." On 26 May 2022, Max scored a goal in the final of the Turkish Cup against Kayserispor. Sivasspor won 3–2 after extra time, winning their first-ever cup title!
Joining Gaziantep
After his contract with Sivasspor ended, Max Gradel signed with Gaziantep on 25 July 2023.
Max Gradel's International Career
Max Gradel hoped that playing for Leeds would help him get called up to the Ivory Coast national team. He received his first call-up in November 2010. He made his debut for Ivory Coast on 5 June 2011, in a 6–2 win against Benin.
Max was part of the Ivory Coast team that finished second in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. He also played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he appeared in one game.
At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Max scored an important goal against Mali. Ivory Coast went on to win the tournament, and Max was named in the "Team of the Tournament."
On 28 March 2023, Max played his 100th game for his country! This was during a qualification match for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. In December 2023, he was chosen for the final squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which was hosted by Ivory Coast. Max Gradel captained his nation to win their third continental title, beating Nigeria 2–1 in the final.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Leicester City | 2008–09 | League One | 27 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 32 | 2 | |
| 2009–10 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 27 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 33 | 2 | |||
| AFC Bournemouth (loan) | 2007–08 | League One | 15 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 19 | 5 | |
| 2007–08 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | |||
| Total | 34 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 38 | 10 | |||
| Leeds United | 2009–10 | League One | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 16 | 3 | |
| 2009–10 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 19 | 3 | |||
| 2010–11 | Championship | 41 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 44 | 18 | |||
| 2011–12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 77 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 84 | 25 | |||
| Saint-Étienne | 2011–12 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 6 | ||
| 2012–13 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 3 | ||||
| 2013–14 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 5 | |||
| 2014–15 | 31 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 40 | 17 | |||
| 2015–16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 101 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 117 | 31 | |||
| AFC Bournemouth | 2015–16 | Premier League | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 13 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 27 | 2 | ||||
| Toulouse (loan) | 2017–18 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 35 | 11 | |
| Toulouse | 2018–19 | Ligue 1 | 36 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 13 | ||
| 2019–20 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 22 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 86 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | 96 | 28 | |||
| Sivasspor | 2020–21 | Süper Lig | 39 | 11 | 3 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | — | 48 | 12 | ||
| 2021–22 | 31 | 3 | 5 | 4 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 39 | 7 | ||||
| 2022–23 | 30 | 7 | 4 | 1 | — | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 10 | |||
| Total | 100 | 21 | 12 | 5 | — | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 131 | 29 | |||
| Gaziantep | 2023–24 | Süper Lig | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 22 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 471 | 111 | 25 | 9 | 18 | 4 | 26 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 548 | 128 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivory Coast | 2011 | 4 | 0 |
| 2012 | 15 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2015 | 10 | 3 | |
| 2016 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 7 | 1 | |
| Total | 113 | 18 | |
- Scores and results list Ivory Coast's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gradel goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 August 2012 | Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow, Russia |  Russia |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 8 September 2012 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Senegal |
4–2 | 4–2 | 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 3 | 5 March 2014 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Belgium |
2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 4 | 11 October 2014 | Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa, DR Congo |  DR Congo |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 5 | 14 November 2014 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Sierra Leone |
3–1 | 5–1 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 6 | 24 January 2015 | Estadio de Malabo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea |  Mali |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 7 | 28 January 2015 | Estadio de Malabo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea |  Cameroon |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 8 | 29 March 2015 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Equatorial Guinea |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 9 | 29 March 2016 | Al-Merrikh Stadium, Omdurman, Sudan |  Sudan |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 10 | 2 September 2017 | Stade d'Angondjé, Libreville, Gabon |  Gabon |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 9 September 2018 | Stade Régional Nyamirambo, Kigali, Rwanda |  Rwanda |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 12 | 1 July 2019 | 30 June Stadium, Cairo, Egypt |  Namibia |
1–0 | 4–1 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 13 | 26 March 2021 | Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey, Niger |  Niger |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 14 | 8 October 2021 | Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa |  Malawi |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 13 November 2021 | Stade de l'Amitié, Cotonou, Benin |  Mozambique |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16 | 12 January 2022 | Japoma Stadium, Douala, Cameroon | Equatorial Guinea |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 17 | 16 November 2022 | Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco |  Burundi |
2–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 18 | 23 March 2024 | Stade de la Licorne, Amiens, France |  Benin |
1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
Awards and Achievements
Max Gradel has won several awards and trophies throughout his career:
With Leicester City
- Football League One: 2008–09 (Champions)
With Leeds United
- Football League One: 2009–10 (Runner-up)
With Saint-Étienne
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2012–13 (Cup Winners)
With Sivasspor
- Turkish Cup: 2021–22 (Cup Winners)
With Ivory Coast National Team
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2015, 2023 (Winners); 2012 (Runner-up)
Individual Awards
- Leeds United Fans' Player of The Year: 2010–11
- Leeds United Players' Player of the Year: 2010–11
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2015
- Super Lig Winger of the Season: 2020–21
- Süper Lig Team of the Season: 2020–21
See also
In Spanish: Max Gradel para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
