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In September 2007, Le Saux published his [[autobiography]] ''Left Field - A Footballer Apart''.
In September 2007, Le Saux published his [[autobiography]] ''Left Field - A Footballer Apart''.

==Charity Work==
Le Saux is currently an Athlete Ambassador for [[Right To Play]], the world's leading sport for development charity.<ref>{{cite web|title=Right To Play: Meet Our Athletes|url=http://www.righttoplay.com/uk/the-team/Pages/MeetOurAthletes.aspx}}</ref>


==Honours==
==Honours==

Revision as of 09:46, 17 August 2011

Graeme Le Saux
Graeme Le Saux, 2011
Personal information
Full name Graeme Pierre Le Saux
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s) Left-back, left wing
Youth career
1986–1987 St Paul's (Jersey)
1987–1989 Chelsea
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1993 Chelsea 90 (8)
1993–1997 Blackburn Rovers 129 (7)
1997–2003 Chelsea 140 (4)
2003–2005 Southampton 44 (1)
Total 403 (20)
International career
1990 England U21 4 (0)
1991–1992 England B 2 (0)
1994–2000 England 36 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Graeme Pierre Le Saux (/[invalid input: 'icon']ləˈsoʊ/ lə-SOH; born 17 October 1968 in Jersey) is a retired English footballer of French ancestry[1] who played for the Premier League clubs Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers and Southampton, and for the England national football team. Primarily a left back, he was sometimes also played in midfield or on the left wing.

After beginning playing in Jersey, he moved to England and debuted for Chelsea in 1989. He left Chelsea in 1993 to join the Blackburn side being built by wealthy benefactor, Jack Walker, and was part of their 1994–95 Premier League winning team. In 1997 he returned to Chelsea, staying there for six seasons until moving to Southampton in 2003. He announced his retirement from football upon Southampton's relegation from the Premier League in 2005.

In his club playing career, he scored 20 goals from 403 club appearances. He was twice named in the Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year, in 1995 with Blackburn and in 1998 with Chelsea. His return to Chelsea in 1997 in a £5 million transfer made him the most expensive defender in English football. As an England international, he made 36 senior appearances from 1994 until 2000, including starting all four England games at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, and scoring one international goal, against Brazil.

Club career

Chelsea

Le Saux started his career at St Paul's of Jersey before moving to Chelsea in 1987 after being spotted playing in a local tournament by manager John Hollins. He made his debut for the club two years later against Portsmouth and had become a regular by the 1990-91 season. His first stint at Chelsea ended in controversy, though. Angry at continually being substituted, he snapped when he was subbed again during a match with Southampton and threw his shirt to the ground as he stormed past manager Ian Porterfield. He was sold to Blackburn Rovers in March 1993 for £700,000.

Blackburn Rovers

Le Saux arrived at Blackburn as part of wealthy benefactor Jack Walker and manager Kenny Dalglish's plan to establish the club as one of the country's top sides, and joined an impressive side containing the likes of Alan Shearer and Tim Flowers. Blackburn finished 2nd in Le Saux's first season, and were crowned Premier League champions a year later, with Le Saux a near ever-present. He missed the second half of the following season due to a broken ankle which also ruled him out of Euro 96, but was still caught up in controversy after fighting with team-mate David Batty during a UEFA Champions League tie with FC Spartak Moscow.

Return to Chelsea

In August 1997, Le Saux became the most expensive defender in English football when he returned to Chelsea in a £5 million deal. Always a regular when available, Le Saux's second spell with Chelsea was often interrupted by injury or suspension. He remained there for six seasons, and was an important part of the side which won the League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup in 1998 and the FA Cup in 2000, though he missed two of those finals through injury.

Southampton

He was swapped in a part-exchange deal with Southampton for Wayne Bridge in 2003. Le Saux played for another two seasons before announcing his retirement in May 2005 following Southampton's relegation from the Premiership. He scored two goals for Southampton, scoring once in the league against Norwich City[2] and once in the League Cup against Bristol City.[3]

International career

Le Saux was capped 36 times for England. He made his first appearance in a friendly win over Denmark and played at the 1998 World Cup, appearing in every game as England reached the second round. Le Saux's only international goal came against Brazil on 11 June 1995 in the Umbro Cup, with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area. It came 18th in a recent poll of the greatest ever England goals.

Homophobic abuse

Further information: Homosexuality in English football § Homophobia

Despite being heterosexual (he is married with two children, son Lucas and daughter Georgina,[4]) Le Saux was dogged by rumours of homosexuality during his playing career. He attributed this to his lack of enthusiasm for the 'typical' footballer's lifestyle, his university background, and the fact that he read a left-wing broadsheet newspaper, The Guardian. This led to abuse from opposition fans and even players. He became involved in a running series of taunts with Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler during a Chelsea game versus Liverpool on 27 February 1999. In the game, Fowler repeatedly bent over and pointed his backside in Le Saux's direction, causing him to delay taking a free kick and be booked for delaying play. Unseen by the match officials, he later struck Fowler on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area. In an interview with The Times, Le Saux said, "More than anything in my career, that offended me. What [Fowler] did was wrong and he has never admitted that. He still talks as if it was a bit of a laugh."[5]

After football

Following his retirement he worked as a pundit for the BBC on both their Match of the Day 2 television highlights show, and for their BBC Radio 5 Live station. He left the BBC's sport team on 31 March 2006 after losing his commentary seat for England's World Cup games to Mark Lawrenson.

In other television appearances, in 2007 Le Saux was a finalist on the game show Vernon Kay's Gameshow Marathon; in 2009 he competed in series 4 of the talent show Dancing on Ice, being voted off in the first round; and on 17 August 2010 he was profiled by the BBC's The One Show magazine programme.

In finance, Le Saux has reported and presented occasionally for BBC Two's business news programme Working Lunch, while in 2006, he joined ABN AMRO Bank's UK private banking team in the role of Ambassador for their Sports Desk.

In September 2007, Le Saux published his autobiography Left Field - A Footballer Apart.

Charity Work

Le Saux is currently an Athlete Ambassador for Right To Play, the world's leading sport for development charity.[6]

Honours

Club

Chelsea
Blackburn Rovers

International

England

Individual

References

Notes

  1. ^ What’s your story? Graeme Pierre Le Saux: A game of two halves
  2. ^ "Southampton 4-3 Norwich". BBC. 30 April 2005. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  3. ^ "Bristol City 0-3 Southampton". BBC. 28 October 2003. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  4. ^ Graeme Le Saux with wife Mariana and son Lucas and daughter Georgina
  5. ^ "How gay slurs almost wrecked my career". News. London: The Times Online. 9 October 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2007. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ "Right To Play: Meet Our Athletes".

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