Radhi Jaïdi

Radhi Jaïdi

Personal information
Full name	Radhi Ben Abdelmajid Jaïdi
Date of birth	30 August 1975 (1975-08-30)
Place of birth	Gabès, Tunisia
Height	1.92 m (6 ft 3 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	Southampton
Number	15
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1993–2004	Espérance	288	(20)
2004–2006	Bolton Wanderers	43	(8)
2006–2009	Birmingham City	86	(6)
2009–	Southampton	58	(4)
National team‡
1996–2009	Tunisia	101	(7)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:00, 20 August 2011 (GMT). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 October 2009

Radhi Ben Abdelmajid Jaïdi (Arabic: راضي بن عبدالمجيد جعايدي‎) (born 30 August 1975 in Tunis) is a Tunisian footballer who joined Npower Championship club Southampton in September 2009. He plays as a centre back.

Club career

Jaïdi signed for Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer in July 2004 from Espérance Sportive de Tunis, who won the Tunisian league title the season before. Jaidi followed in the footsteps of Tunisian Rochdi Karaa, the first Tunisian to play professional football in England (Darlington 83-84).

Jaïdi made a lasting first impression with Bolton coach Sam Allardyce, who has consistently hailed him as a brilliant header of the ball.^{[citation needed]}

Jaïdi joined Birmingham City in the summer of 2006 for £2 million. He made his debut in a 1–0 win over Crystal Palace in the early stages of the season although he almost scored an own goal in this match. After three years with the club, he was not offered another deal when his contract expired at the end of June 2009.

In August 2009, Jaïdi passed a medical and agreed personal terms with Football League One club Southampton, but the transfer stalled when doubts arose over the player's eligibility for a work permit. However, on 2 September 2009, the club confirmed that Jaïdi had signed a two-year contract, subject to work-permit clearance. He received his international clearance on 10 September, and made his debut as a 77th-minute substitute at Charlton two days later. He scored his 1st goal for the Saints in the 1–1 draw away to Carlisle United on 26 September; the 95th-minute goal came from a free kick which earned his side the draw. His first goal in the 2010-2011 season came in a 4-1 victory over Huddersfield Town.

International career

Jaïdi was also a regular in the Tunisia line-up and was selected by coach Roger Lemerre for the 2006 World Cup. He scored the goal which secured a 2–2 draw in their opening game against Saudi Arabia. He had previously been part of Tunisia's 2004 African Nations Cup-winning squad, and played in the 2002 World Cup. He captained the Tunisian national team in the 2008 African Cup of Nations, where they went out in the quarter finals to Cameroon.

Honours

Tunisia

• African Cup of Nations: 2004

Espérance

• Tunisian League: 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

• Tunisian President Cup: 1997, 1999

• African Cup of Champions Clubs: 1994

• African Cup Winners' Cup: 1998

• CAF Super Cup: 1995

• CAF Cup: 1996

Southampton

• Football League Trophy: 2010

External links

• Radhi Jaïdi career stats at Soccerbase
• Birmingham City profile
• Southampton F.C. profile