Louis Saha

Louis Laurent Saha (born 8 August 1978 in Paris, France) is a France international footballer of Guadaloupe descent who plays for the English club, Manchester United F.C..

Club career

Metz

Saha made his English football debut on loan from F.C. Metz to Newcastle United F.C. in 1999, making 11 appearances and scoring one goal before returning to Metz.

Fulham

He was transferred to Fulham F.C. for £2.1million in 2000. During a spell of nearly four years at the club, he scored 63 goals in total.

Manchester United

Saha was transferred to Manchester United for a fee of £12.8 million in 2004 after impressing Sir Alex Ferguson in Fulham's 2-1 loss to Manchester United and throughout the season having scored 15 goals up to that point. Fulham were reluctant to sell Saha but he pushed for a deal and it eventually went through on the 23rd of January 2004.

Saha certainly looked an impressive signing with 7 goals in his 10 starting appearances of the 2003-2004 season. He scored on his debut against Southampton F.C] and followed it up with a brace at Everton F.C] As is customary he scored against his old club Fulham - a fantastic breakway run and thundering finish. Louis also scored United's late equaliser at Highbury after coming on as sub.

He then got an international call-up for France national football team, scoring on his debut versus Belgium national football team and made the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship squad for the tournament in Portugal. Unfortunately he was unable to play in the FA Cup final win over Millwall F.C], being cup tied due to an earlier appearance with Fulham.


2004-2005 was a stop-start season marred by constant injury. Saha never really got going making only 11 starting appearances, 11 from the bench and scoring two goals. In September he picked up an knee injury playing for France against the Faroe Islands which cost him a month. Then in November he picked up the injury again, also playing for the national side and costing nearly two months out.

At the end of February 2005, the problem re-occurred, again leaving Saha out for a further two months. With serious doubts over fitness, his long term future at Old_Trafford_(football_ground) was highly uncertain. The Frenchman was again sidelined by a hamstring strain for the first three months of the new season and there was talk of him leaving in the January transfer window.

He finally returned in November 2005 and eased back into side as a sub and starring in Football_League_Cup matches. To the surprise of many, the French striker recaptured his initial good form and started banging in the goals. Six goals in the League Cup run saw him usurping Ruud_van_Nistelrooy as the first choice strike partner for Rooney.

Saha took Ruud's place in the Cardiff final against Wigan and this signaled an extraordinary turn-a-round in fortunes for the two players. It left the once omnipresent Dutchman consigned to the starting bench for the rest of the season with Saha Sir Alex's preferred choice up front.

Few would have thought come the end of the season it would be Van Nistelrooy heading for the exit and not Louis Saha. In all, the Frenchman scored 15 goals in 2005-2006, enough to persuade Fergie that he should be his first striker alongside Wayne_Rooney for season 2006-2007.

The new season in August 2006 saw his return from the 2006_FIFA_World_Cup where he had played for France making three appearances as substitute. Saha began in fine form scoring after 7 minutes against old club Fulham in the opener and went on to score regularly throughout the first half of the campaign.

This included two at home to Celtic_F.C., goals against Manchester_City_F.C. and Chelsea_F.C. plus crackers away to Charlton_Athletic_F.C. and Sport_London_e_Benfica_F.C.. He also took on penalty duties but missed a last minute kick at Celtic that would have given the Reds a 1-1 draw.

Saha signed an extension to his contract in December 2006, lasting to 2010, but from then on the old ghost of injury problems would haunt him again. Groin and hamstring injuries restricted appearances and meant he only scored one goal in the 2nd half of the season. He returned as substitute at A.S._Roma but then soon picked up an knee injury.

In the 2007-2008 season, Saha returned from injury and came as a substitute against Sunderland A.F.C], netting a late winner from a corner kick.

Honours

With Manchester United (2004- present)

- FA Premier League - Winner: 2006/07 Runners Up: 2005-06
- Football League Cup Winner: 2006
- FA Cup - Runners Up : 2004/05, 2006/07