Louis Saha

At 45 years old, Louis Saha has this physical status:

Louis Laurent Saha (born 8 August 1978) is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker. Saha was capped 20 times for France's national team and scored four goals. He began his career at Metz before playing on loan at Newcastle United. He was a former scholar at the Clairefontaine football academy. Saha's career began with Fulham, where he established himself as the first-choice striker, assisting them in winning promotion to the Premier League in their first season with them.

His appearances attracted the attention of Manchester United, who eventually earned his transfer for around £12.4 million from midway through the 2003-2004 season. Injuries marred his Old Trafford career, but the UEFA Champions League, 2007–08, was a success, and he also scored six times en route to victory in the League Cup, with one goal in the final. Despite Saha's injury struggles, United star Wayne Rooney said on Sky Sports that Saha was one of his favorite strike partners.

Everton took him to Goodison Park, where he opened the scoring in the 2009 FA Cup Final by 25 seconds, setting the record for the fastest goal scored in FA Cup Final history. In the 2012 January transfer window, he joined Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer. In a 2–0 win over Belgium, Saha made his France debut in 2004. He represented France at both the UEFA Euro 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in which they reached the final.

Early life

Saha was born in Paris. His parents were born on the island of Guadeloupe (a French region), where his grandparents remained to this day. He has a younger sister and a younger brother. Saha and his siblings were also raised in a strict Caribbean tradition, according to Saha.

His father worked as a plane mechanic, and his mother worked as a nurse. Saha said his family had little money and told him not to "take nothing for granted" in exchange. Saha revealed that his father tried to force him to balance his football with the remainder of his education, but he did nonetheless insist that he "get enough education away from football" and that he aid him in his development as a footballer and as a man."

Personal life

Saha speaks fluent English in addition to French. He learned the language after moving to Fulham in 2000, where he had some initial challenges before improving.

Stanley, Enzo, and Lou are three children with his ex partner. They split up after he was fired from football. He has now lived in Manchester, North West England, and has since migrated to France's south.

Saha's car was unhurt after collided with a fence on Altrincham Road, at the entrance to Manchester Airport's tunnels.

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Club career

Saha began his football career with FC Soisy-Andilly-Margency in Soisy-Sous-Montmorency before joining Clairefontaine. He then transferred to Metz at the age of 15 and then signed his first professional contract with the club at 17. In 1997, Saha's senior staff joined the company. Saha made his Metz debut on August 8, 1997, arriving late after missing Bordeaux and scoring the club's fourth goal of the game in a 4–1 victory. FC Metz finished second in the league behind RC Lens by a goal difference, with this his only goal of the season. He appeared in 25 different sports in all competitions. Saha lost his first team opportunities in 1998-99, as he made six appearances in all leagues.

In January 1999, Saha went on loan to Newcastle United, scoring once against Coventry City and playing in a total of 11 league games. He also scored in Newcastle's bid to the 1999 FA Cup Final with his only goal against Blackburn Rovers in the fifth round; however, Ruud Gullit was kept entirely out of the cup final squad altogether. He later reflected on his time at Newcastle United, saying that it made him realize how difficult it was to work as a footballer and gaining confidence.

Saha returned to Metz, where he made a difference in the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup against MK, Lokeren, Warsaw, and West Ham United, after a 1998–99 season. Saha's first game for the club came on August 7, 1999, defeating 3–0 against AJ Auxerre. Saha made 33 appearances and scoring 11 times in all leagues between 1999 and 2000. Despite being in a goal scoring slump, Saha revealed that the club wanted him to "take on a lot more defensive roles," something that prompted him to abandon football. Saha scored five goals in 47 games during a two-year tenure before he left the club at the end of the 1999–2000 season.

Saha returned to England, where he was originally signed by Fulham for £2.1 million in 2000. "Louis is a superb signing," manager Jean Tigana said upon joining the club. I've known him since he was 17 years old and has an amazing gift. I am sure he will continue to enjoy his contemporaries, Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka, as he follows the success of his contemporaries. I think he will be a good player in the First Division and has the attributes to be a success in the Premiership.

In a 2–0 win over Crewe Alexandra in the first game of the season, Saha quickly made an impact on his Fulham debut, scoring his first goal of the season. In a 3–1 victory over Birmingham City, this was followed by scoring. Saha made his debut on his first appearance, becoming the club's first-choice striker and team's first-choice striker, as well as John Collins and Lee Clark. The Evening Standard described their results as "world class" in terms of their results. In September 2000, he scored twice against Nottingham Forest, braces against Northampton Town and Burnley, and a hat-trick against Barnsley. With three goals against Grimsby Town on November 25 and Derby County on November 29, 2000, his goalscoring form continued. Saha scored two goals in two games against Norwich City and Watford in January 2001. In a 4–1 victory over Tranmere Rovers on March 30, 2001, he scored twice for the team. Saha scored three goals in two games against Portsmouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers in April 2001. Saha's 2000-2001 campaign saw Fulham's 27 league goals lift them into the Premier League, making him the league's top scorer. He made 48 appearances and scored 32 times in all competitions at the end of the 2000–01 season. Saha was named PFA Team of the Year in recognition for his contributions.

Saha scored three goals against Manchester United and Sunderland in the first two matches of the 2001–02 season. He was named Premier League Player of the Month for his first month in the top flight. Saha's first team spot as the club's first choice striker was resurgent, with Barry Hayles assisting him in the 2001–02 season. Although Saha did score in the League Cup against Derby County on October 10, 2001, he went on a three-month absence from scoring in the league before winning by 3–1 over Newcastle United on November 17, 2001. However, Saha's goal scoring form began to decline in the 2001–02 season, with three more goals against Chelsea, including a brace against Chelsea. Saha had made 44 appearances and scored nine times in all competitions at the end of the season.

Saha played in every match of the UEFA Intertoto Cup from 2002 to 2003, scoring once against Egaleo in the third round on July 20, 2002. He appeared in both legs of the Intertoto Cup finals against Bologna, who won 5–3 to win the tournament and qualify for the UEFA Cup. Saha won by 4–1 over Bolton Wanderers in the first game of the season, scoring on a penalty. However, he sustained a hamstring injury that kept him out for the remainder of 2002. In a 3–1 victory over Birmingham City in the third round of the FA Cup, Saha scored on his return to action on January 5, 2003. Nevertheless, his recovery was short-lived after he sustained another injury that required him to miss two games. In a 2–1 loss to Arsenal, he returned to the first team on February 1, 2003, as the 69th-minute replacement. In a 3–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion, he scored his fourth goal of the season. Saha managed to regain his first team role after his return in the 2002-03 season, playing in the striker role. He scored two goals in two games against Sunderland and Southampton in March 2003, giving him three more goals in the 2002–03 season. He was less consistent in the 2002–03 season due to his injuries, scoring just seven goals in 28 appearances in all competitions.

Saha will remain unchanged as a result of the 2003–04 season. He began the season by scoring in the first game of the season, winning 3–2 over Middlesbrough. Saha scored three goals in three matches against Birmingham City, Manchester City, and Blackburn Rovers in September 2003. He remained in the first team regular for Fulham throughout the first half of the season, playing in the striker role. His goal scoring form lasted through the year, with three braces scoring three times. As a result, Saha was named Player of the Month for December. He scored 15 goals in only 22 appearances in his last season at Fulham before being released in the January transfer window.

Manchester United's transfer to Saha was rejected by the club on December 23, 2003, who said the club did not want to buy him. It came after his appearance at Fulham's victory over Manchester United in October 2003 was thought to be vital in persuading Alex Ferguson to sign him in 2004. Saha revealed that he had been falling out with Manager Chris Coleman as a result of the way in which he left Fulham around this time. Saha had scored 63 goals in a season of nearly four years with the club.

Saha was sold to Manchester United for £12.4 million in 2004 after scoring 15 goals in the season so far, as well as impressing Alex Ferguson in Fulham's 3–1 victory over Old Trafford. Fulham were reluctant to sell Saha but he pressed for a compromise, which eventually went through on January 23, 2004. FC Metz filed a lawsuit with FIFA (and later the Court of Arbitration for Sport) arguing that they were entitled to a portion of Saha's transfer fee from Fulham. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favour of FC Metz and Fulham, which was ordered to pay two years later.

Saha's debut against Southampton came early, scoring on his first appearance in his ten starting appearances of the 2003–04 season and scoring on his debut. Ferguson praised his results after the match. In a 4–3 win, Everton, Saha, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Ruud van Nistelrooy all scored two goals in the next match. He met his ex-team for the first time on February 28, 2004, scoring the only goal for United in a 1–1 draw. Saha was booed and jeered by Fulham supporters throughout the match. As Manchester United defeated Porto 3–2 on aggregate, he continued to play in both legs of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 against Porto. Saha returned to the first team and scored in the next two matches against Arsenal and Birmingham City after missing two matches due to an Achilles injury. He was unable to participate in the 2004 FA Cup Final victory over Millwall due to a cup-tied match with Fulham. Despite this, Saha continued to make 12 appearances and scoring seven times in all competitions by the end of the 2003–04 season.

Saha's 2004–05 season was marred by constant injury. In a 1–1 draw against Blackburn Rovers on August 28, he made his first appearance of the season on August 28th. However, Saha sustained a knee injury while playing for France against the Faroe Islands, putting him out of action for a month. On October 16, 2004, he rejoined the first team in a 0–0 draw against Birmingham City, playing the entire 90 minutes. In a 2–0 victory over Crystal Palace in the fourth round of the League Cup on November 10, 2004, Saha scored his first goal of the season. He picked up an injury while playing for the national team and was spending him almost two months out. In a 0–0 draw against Chelsea in the first leg of the League Cup semi-finals, Saha did not play a full 90 minutes until January 12, 2005. In a 3–1 win over Aston Villa ten days later, he scored his second goal of the season as well as setting up the first goal of the game. The problem resurfaced in February, but Saha was postponed for another two months. Saha never got going after his 2004-05 season, with 11 starting appearances, 11 from the bench, and two goals.

Saha sustained another hamstring strain this summer, ruled out for the first three months of the 2005–06 season. In a 3–1 victory over West Bromwich Albion on November 30, he scored on his first appearance of the season as well as setting up the third goal of the game. Saha's return to action as a replacement, making appearances in League Cup matches. The French striker regained his early form and began a streak of goalscoring form, surprising many. He scored six goals in the League Cup, making him the first-choice strike partner for Wayne Rooney. In the final against Wigan Athletic, Saha was a starter over Van Nistelrooy and scored a goal. Despite recovering from an injury along the way, he scored four more goals in the 2005–06 season, including a brace against West Bromwich Albion on March 18, 2006. Saha had made 30 appearances and scored 15 times in all competitions between 2005 and 2006.

After Van Nistelrooy's departure from Real Madrid during the summer transfer window, Ferguson selected Saha to play alongside Rooney for the next season. He started the 2006–07 season by scoring only seven minutes against Fulham in the first round. In a 3–0 win over Charlton Athletic, Stephen Gray scored his second goal of the season, as well as setting up the second goal of the game. In a 3–2 win over Celtic in the UEFA Champions League, Saha scored twice for the team as well as setting up the third goal of the game. In the UEFA Champions League, he scored the winning goal away from Benfica and then scored in the home leg. Saha's goal scoring form remained unchanged for the remainder of 2006. As a result, he signed a new deal that will continue for five years, but soon after, he began experiencing more injuries. Groin and hamstring injuries limited appearances, resulting in just one goal in the second half of the season. He came back as a replacement at Roma but then suffered a knee injury and was ruled out of the FA Cup final against Chelsea. Saha had a 13-goal season in all leagues, largely due to his pre-Christmas results.

Saha recovered from injury and played as a substitute against Sunderland, scoring the winning goal. Saha's first game with Avram Grant in charge, on September 23, 2007, was won and converted a penalty against Chelsea. United beat the game 2–0. After a year ago, Saha was brought back to the French national team. Saha came on to replace Carlos Tevez, who had been under pressure against Arsenal, in a 2–2 draw. Cristiano Ronaldo gave United a 2–1 lead after setting up a goal. Saha continued to make appearances off the bench, but when Wayne Rooney was suspended for a few weeks, he joined Tevez up front. He then started his match against Sunderland on Boxing Day and scored twice, including a penalty, lifting Manchester United to 1st position in the Premier League, winning 2–0. Saha made his return to football on February 16, 2008, defeating Arsenal 4–0 after being sidelined with a knee injury that kept him out for a month. He came on as a replacement for Ronaldo over the weekend, scoring the final goal in a 5–1 win over Newcastle United. Saha's injury haunted him and lugged him off with a hamstring complaint during United's victory over Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford, despite being back to almost full fitness. Saha was suspended for several weeks after missing the main games. Saha was brought on as a replacement in the last game of the Premier League season against Wigan Athletic, but he did not participate in the match. Saha said in May 2008 that his United States career was in jeopardy. Despite his desire to remain and love for the club, he was uncertain about what the future held for Old Trafford.

Despite struggling with injuries in several of his seasons with Manchester United, Saha scored 42 goals in all competitions in 120 appearances for the club.

Saha signed a two-year 'pay-as-you-play' contract with Everton in 2008 for an undisclosed fee. Saha decided not to train after being injured but not match-fit at the time of signing.

Saha scored his first goal against his former club Fulham on September 22nd in his Everton debut, beating Hull City as a replacement in a league match away from Hull City. In a 3–1 victory over West Ham United, the scoring was supplemented by a brace as well as setting up the first goal of the game. However, he sustained a knee injury while playing against Tottenham Hotspur on November 30, 2008, and was suspended in the 60th minute. Following this, Saha will be out for two months. In a 0–0 draw against Newcastle United, he returned to the first team on February 22, 2009, as a 74th-minute replacement. In a 2–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion, Simon was scoring his fourth league goal of the season. He came off the bench at halftime in the FA Cup quarter-finals against Middlesbrough, scoring the winner and helping Everton reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1995. Saha scored twice in the second month against West Ham United, for the second time in the season, as the club defeated 3–1. Saha scored the fastest goal in the final's history two weeks later in the FA Cup final, only 25 seconds later, but Chelsea came from behind to win 2–1. This was a record set by Bob Chatt 114 years ago in the 1895 Final. It was also the fastest goal in any match at the new Wembley Stadium, beating Giampaolo Pazzini's previous record of an under-21 international for Italy in March 2007. He landed himself in the starting 11 in the 2008–09 season, forming a unique friendship with Yakubu. Saha had made 29 appearances and scored eight times in all competitions during the 2008–09 season.

In a 6-1 loss at Goodison Park on the first day of the season, Saha scored his first goal of the 2009-2010 season after being a reserve on the first day of the season against Arsenal. His goalscoring form stayed strong for the next two months, scoring a goal against Wigan Athletic and Portsmouth, as well as braces against Sigma Olomouc and Blackburn Rovers. By the year's end, he had scored seven goals in seven games in all competitions. Saha's next two months received two Player of the Month awards by the club. On February 5, 2010, Saha signed a two-year contract with Everton, keeping him at the club until the 2011–12 season. In a 2–1 victory over Chelsea, five days later he scored a brace for the team. He established himself in the starting 11 during the 2009–2010 season, but his goalscoring efforts faded as the season progressed. Saha made 40 appearances and scored 15 times in all competitions despite suffering from injuries throughout the season.

Saha earned his first team spot for the first four games of the 2010–11 season, scoring his first goal against Huddersfield Town in the second round of the League Cup. However, he sustained an accident while on international service, which kept him out for a month. In a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, he recovered from injury on October 23, 2010. Since recovering from injury, he was in the first team for the next three months, but he was unable to recover his goalscoring form. Saha also sustained a thigh injury that caused him to miss just one match. Saha scored his eighth goal in five starts against Chelsea on 29 January 2011 on 29 January 2011 in a 5–3 victory, and he continued his form in his next home game against Blackpool on 5 February. It was his first hat-trick in the Premier League. Saha had a low right footed drive against Fulham on March 19, 2011, but he was later stretchered off with an ankle injury and remained sidelined for the remainder of the season. Saha had made 26 appearances and scored nine times in all competitions at the end of the 2010–11 season.

In a pre-season match against the newly relegated Birmingham City at St Andrews, Saha made his return for the 2011–12 season on July 30th. He was brought into the game in the second half and scored 3 minutes into his return from injury with a low right footed drive from outside the box. Saha returned to the first squad after missing four games in a 2–0 loss to Manchester City on September 24. In a home fixture against Liverpool, Everton made his first appearance of the season. Everton lost the game 2–0. After coming on as a replacement, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage. In the following game against Chelsea in a League Cup tie, Saha continued his scoring in the following game. He failed to score again for Everton, the longest streak in league football that lasted 942 minutes. Everton had scored 35 goals in 115 appearances before Saha.

Saha completed a free transfer to Tottenham Hotspur on January 31, 2012, signing a six-month deal. He was given the number 15 jersey, the last worn by Peter Crouch.

In a 0–0 draw, he made his debut against Liverpool less than a week later, as a replacement for Emmanuel Adebayor. In a 5–0 win, he made his full debut in the very next league match against Newcastle United, scoring twice. He made it three goals in three games for his new club when he scored the first goal in Tottenham's 5-0 loss to Arsenal in a North London derby.

He scored his fourth goal for Bolton Wanderers, making it 3–1 to Tottenham for the last kick of the game, advancing his team to the FA Cup semi-finals against London rivals Chelsea. Following his brief time with Tottenham Hotspur, Saha revealed that he was keen to lock down a long-term contract at White Hart Lane, quoting Harry Redknapp as a major factor in his form. Saha was released on July 13, 2012, after his deal came to an end at the end of the season.

Sunderland announced the signing of Saha on a one-year contract on August 16, 2012. In a 0–0 draw with Arsenal, he made his debut two days later and came as a backup. On transfer deadline day, January 2013, his employment was mutually terminated. Saha's time with Sunderland was limited to 14 appearances and failed to score a single goal.

Saha's current deal with Italian club Lazio began on February 6, 2013. He was announced by the club the next day.

Saha made his Lazio debut on February 9, 2013 in a match against Napoli as a replacement. However, he found his playing time limited, mainly as a replacement, as he went on to make six appearances for the club. Despite being keen to stay at the club beyond the 2012-2013 season, Saha was released at the end of the short-term contract.

Post-playing career

Saha, who is 35 years old, announced his retirement from professional football on August 8, 2013 by tweeting on August 8. On May 12, Saha joined other injured players in a Testimonial match for his former Spurs teammate Ledley King. He came as a second-half replacement against a line-up of current Tottenham players. He reformed himself on September 2nd, joining other injured players for a charity match against Barcelona that Manchester United defeated 3–0.

Saha founded AxisStars, a private network for pro athletes and entertainers following his release from professional football.

After it was announced that a botched investment scheme would result in him losing "around six figures," Saha said in December 2015. He also published a book titled 'Thinking Inside the Box,' which was also published. '

International career

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

Saha said he wanted to play for France and put his name in the short list for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but Saha revealed that he would not be in the squad for the tournament due to his lack of fitness during the 2001–02 season. Saha didn't get his first full cap until 2004, marking his debut with a goal in a 2–0 victory over Belgium on 18 February. He was also selected for the UEFA Euro 2004 squad this summer. In a 4–0 victory over Andorra on May 28, Saha scored his second goal for France, scoring his third goal of the game. Having appeared in the first two matches as an unutilized replacement in the Group Stage, he made his first appearance of the tournament against Switerzland and set up a goal for Thierry Henry to score the national team's second goal of the game, winning 3–1. However, Saha played 18 minutes as France defeated Greece 1–0, effectively ending the national team from the tournament.

Saha was called up to the national team squad for the FIFA World Cup two years ago, earning his first call-up in nearly a year. He made his first appearance for the national team in nearly a year, starting with a match against Denmark on May 31, 2006, which set up France's first goal of the season, which was a 2–0 win. In a 0–0 draw against Switerzland, Saha made his first appearance of the World Cup, arriving as a 69th-minute substitute. Saha helped France reach the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals, but he was banned from the final against Italy after receiving a yellow card during France's semi-final victory over Portugal.

Saha was called up to the France squad for the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina after the World Cup finals, and the team was defeated 21-0. Saha won by 3–0 over Georgia in his next appearance for the national team. In a 5–0 victory over Faroe Islands a month later, he scored his fourth goal for France.

Saha was selected for the Euro 2012 qualifiers, which also included goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, Chelsea's Florent Malouda, and nine other French players who competed in France's poor 2010 World Cup campaign. He had not played for his national team since November 2006 (although Raymond Domenech called him up in February 2010, he withdrew from the squad due to injury). Saha made a return to France for the first time in four years, starting as a 79th-minute replacement in a 1–0 loss to Belarus on September 3, 2010. He returned to the national team in a 2–1 victory over Germany on February 29, 2012, in what was then his last appearance for France.

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