Djimi Traoré

Djimi Traoré (born 1 March 1980 in Laval) is a football (soccer) player, who can play as a left back or as a centre back. He currently plays for Portsmouth F.C. in the English premier league.

Club career

Liverpool

Traoré started his career at home club Stade Lavallois before moving on to Liverpool F.C., with Gérard Houllier paying £500,000 for him in February 1999. His career at Liverpool has had some ups and downs — he played for most of the 2002–03 season, deputising for the injured Stéphane Henchoz, having been on loan with French club RC Lens the previous season.

He spent the FA Premier League 2003-04, Houllier's last at the club, in the reserve team, of which he was captain, and almost left Liverpool for their Merseyside neighbours Everton F.C. on the 2004 transfer deadline day but remained at Liverpool.
Traoré was a player whose career appeared to have been revitalised by Rafael Benítez. While the defender had been continually exposed for being poor positionally, and seemed reticent to attack, particularly during the FA Premier League 2004-05, he showed more willingness to support the left winger, as well as improving his positional play.

Nonetheless, his mistakes opened him up to a large amount of criticism. Memorably, Traoré scored a bizarre own-goal in the third round of the 2004–05 FA Cup against Championship side Burnley F.C., as he attempted an ill-advised turn and drag-back within his own six-yard box.
It turned out to be the only goal of the game and handed Burnley a 1-0 victory over their more illustrious Premiership opponents. Shortly after this Traore gained the nicknames Djimi 'crazy legs' Traoré and Djimi 'Magic Feet' Traoré. The goal also inspired a popular chant among Liverpool fans to the tune of The Jacksons 'Blame it on the Boogie'.

"Don't blame it on Harmann
Dont' blame it on Finnan
Don't blame it on Biscan
Blame it on Traore

He just cant, he just cant he just cant't control his feet.

Despite this, Traoré remained a regular at Liverpool, and eventually made the starting line-up as Liverpool qualified for the UEFA Champions League 2004-05 that season, against AC Milan.
He was poor in the first half of the final, conceding the free kick that led to Paolo Maldini's goal in the opening minute. However, he improved substantially in the second half, and his greatest moment was when a shot from Andriy Shevchenko hit his head and the ball was cleared off the goal-line.
Traoré then became the first Malian to win a UEFA Champions League winners medal as Liverpool eventually beat Milan on penalties.

In the FA Premier League 2005-06, Traoré found his first team appearances limited, with John Arne Riise and Stephen Warnock also starting regularly at left back. It was to be his last season with Liverpool, and, although he had played some part in Liverpool's pre-season in 2006, he was sold to Charlton Athletic F.C. for £2 million on 8 August 2006.

Charlton

Traoré was sent off on his Addicks debut on August 19 2006, after receiving two yellow cards, the latter of which was for hauling down West Ham United Marlon Harewood. This was the fifth time in eight seasons a Charlton player had been sent off on the first game of the season. After only half a season at the Valley, Traoré was allowed to leave the club by new manager Alan Pardew, joining Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth F.C for a fee believed to be in the region of £1m.

Portsmouth

On January 13 2007, Traoré played his first Premier League game with Portsmouth against Sheffield United. He played nine more games that season, but only played three the following season. On January 18th 2008, he joined Rennes on loan. He wore the number 12 for Rennes. Despite impressing while on loan, Rennes were unable to agree a deal to sign him and he has returned to Portsmouth to help in their UEFA cup campaign.

On return, he found himself some-what frozen out at Fratton Park and was expected to be sold in the summer. Due to multiple defenders at the club being injured and the loan return of Lucien Aubey, this left Pompey with only Hermann Hreiðarsson as the only natural left-back at the club. As such, Traoré found himself taking part in most of Portsmouth's pre-season fixtures, albeit without a squad number and only as cover. After impressing with his hard-work and dedication, he was re-installed as part of the first team by receiving the number 32 just before Portsmouth's first match of the new season, the FA Community Shield fixture against Manchester United. He was an unused substitute in the game.