Nadir Belhadj Bio Send To Friend  

A left-back who can also operate as a winger, Belhadj began his career at Ligue 1 club Lens, where he failed to make the first-team.

He joined Ligue 2 FC Gueugnon on loan in 2002 and after making 26 league appearances signed permanently in 2003.

He then moved to CS Sedan in 2004 and gained promotion with the side from Ligue 2.

In January 2007 Belhadj was bought by French champions Lyon for €3.24 million and signed a lucrative four and a half year dea, although he was loaned back to CS Sedan until the end of the season.

The arrival of Fabio Grosso hindered his progress and, in January 2008, it was confirmed that Belhadj had signed a three and a half year deal with his former club Lens for a fee of €3.6 million.

Lasting only a few months, the Algerian joined Portsmouth on a season-long loan with an option to make the deal permanent.

His driving runs forward from the back made him an instant crowd favourite after making his debut as a substitute against Middlesbrough. Pompey made it a full transfer for £4.4 million as soon as the window reopened in January after 18 games and two goals.