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 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Winger | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Amedspor | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 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– | Amedspor | |||||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2024 | Ivory Coast | 113 | (18) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Ivory Coast Olympic | 2 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Max-Alain Gradel (born November 30, 1987) is a professional footballer from Ivory Coast. He plays as a winger for the Turkish club Amedspor.
Gradel first joined the Ivory Coast national team in November 2010. He played his first game for his country on June 5, 2011. In April 2011, fans and players at Leeds United voted him their Player of the Year. In June 2018, he moved to the French club Toulouse.
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Max Gradel's Club Career
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.
At Lewisham College, Gradel's team won the Bon Giourno Cup in the Netherlands. He scored 11 goals in that tournament. Gradel says that "Everything started at Lewisham College."
Early Football Journey
Gradel started 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.
In 2007, Gradel signed his first professional contract with Leicester City. He was one of eight young players to do so.
Loan to AFC Bournemouth
In August 2007, Leicester City sent Gradel on loan to AFC Bournemouth. This loan was first for one month, then extended for the whole season. However, he had to return home due to a family loss.
He came back to Leicester in January 2008. But he soon rejoined Bournemouth on loan for the rest of the season. His great performances at Bournemouth helped him earn a new three-year contract with Leicester.
Returning to Leicester City
Gradel played his first league game for Leicester on August 9, 2008. He helped Leicester win 2-0 against Milton Keynes Dons. A few days later, he signed a new contract until June 2012.
He scored his first senior goal in an FA Cup match in January 2009. His first league goal came in a 2-2 draw against MK Dons in February. He scored with a free-kick in injury time. This free-kick won the "Goal of the Season" award for Leicester City. Gradel played 32 games as Leicester won their league and were promoted.
Time at Leeds United
Joining Leeds on Loan
On October 19, 2009, Gradel joined Leeds United on a one-month loan. He made his debut as a substitute in a 2-1 win. Gradel scored his first goal for Leeds on October 31, just minutes after coming on. Fans started chanting, "Grayson sign him up!"
Leeds manager Simon Grayson wanted to keep Gradel longer. Gradel also said he would be happy to join Leeds permanently. His loan was extended until January 2010.
Making a Permanent Move
Gradel scored the winning goal for Leeds in the 89th minute against Leyton Orient. He also provided two assists in a game against Oldham. He scored again in the West Yorkshire derby against Huddersfield Town.
Gradel asked to leave Leicester and officially signed with Leeds United on January 25, 2010. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. He played his first game as a permanent Leeds player against Swindon Town.
Gradel scored his sixth goal for Leeds in a 4-1 win against MK Dons. In the final match of the 2009–10 season, Gradel was sent off. But Leeds still won 2-1 and were promoted to The Championship.
2010–11 Season Highlights
Gradel missed the first four games of the 2010–11 season due to his red card. He returned in a League Cup match against his old club, Leicester. His first league game was a 1-0 win against Watford.
Gradel scored his first Championship goal against Scunthorpe United. He scored two goals in Leeds' 2-0 win over league leaders Queens Park Rangers. His great form attracted interest from top clubs.
In January, Gradel won a penalty against Arsenal, which helped Leeds get a 1-1 draw. He scored his 10th goal of the season against Bristol City. He continued to score, reaching 18 goals for the season.
In April 2011, Gradel won both the Fans' Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year awards for Leeds. He said he wanted to stay and help Leeds reach the Premier League.
2011–12 Season Start
Many clubs were interested in Gradel, but he said he wanted to stay with Leeds. He even missed a League Cup match because he was called up to the Ivorian squad.
Gradel scored a late penalty in the first game of the 2011–12 season against Southampton. However, Leeds lost 3-1. He was sent off in a game against Middlesbrough. His last game for Leeds was a 2-1 loss against Ipswich Town.
Moving to Saint-Étienne
On August 30, 2011, Gradel joined the French club Saint-Étienne. He signed a four-year contract. In the 2014–15 season, Gradel was Saint-Étienne's top scorer in Ligue 1 with 17 goals. He also helped with three assists.
Returning to AFC Bournemouth
On August 4, 2015, Gradel returned to England to play for Premier League newcomers Bournemouth. He signed a four-year deal.
On August 29, Gradel suffered a serious knee injury during a match. This injury kept him out of the game for six months. He returned to play on February 27, 2016. Gradel scored his first goal after his return in a 3-2 win over Swansea City.
Playing for Toulouse
After scoring only one goal in 25 games for Bournemouth, Gradel was loaned to Toulouse for the 2017–18 season. He played so well that Toulouse signed him permanently on July 1, 2018. He scored 28 goals in 68 matches for the French team. In the 2019–20 season, Gradel scored three goals and made two assists. However, his efforts were not enough to save Toulouse from being moved down to the second division.
Time at Sivasspor
On August 16, 2020, Gradel joined the Turkish club Sivasspor for free. In his first season (2020–21), he was named the best winger in the league. On May 26, 2022, Gradel scored a goal in the final of the Turkish Cup. Sivasspor won 3-2 after extra time, winning their first cup title.
Joining Gaziantep
On July 25, 2023, Gradel signed with Gaziantep after his contract with Sivasspor ended.
Max Gradel's International Career
Gradel hoped that playing for Leeds would help him get a spot on the Ivory Coast national team. He was first called up on November 11, 2010. He made his debut for Ivory Coast on June 5, 2011, in a 6-2 win against Benin.
He made his first start for Ivory Coast in a 4-3 win against Israel on August 10, 2011.
Gradel 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, appearing in a 2-1 loss to Colombia.
At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Gradel scored a late goal against Mali. Ivory Coast went on to win the tournament, and Gradel was named in the team of the tournament.
On March 28, 2023, he played his 100th international match. This was a 2-0 win against Comoros in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
On December 28, 2023, Gradel was chosen for the 27-man squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Ivory Coast. He captained his country to their third title, winning 2-1 against Nigeria in the final.
International Goals
Max Gradel has scored many important goals for his country. Here is a list of his international goals:
| 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 |
Max Gradel's Achievements and Awards
Max Gradel has won several important titles and awards throughout his career:
Leicester City
- Football League One: 2008–09 (Champions)
Leeds United
- Football League One runner-up: 2009–10
Saint-Étienne
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2012–13 (Cup Winners)
Sivasspor
- Turkish Cup: 2021–22 (Cup Winners)
Ivory Coast National Team
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2015, 2023 (Winners)
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2012
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
