Djimi Traore Bio Send To Friend  

Djimi Traore joined Portsmouth in January 2007 for a fee believed to be in the region of £1million after a disappointing half-season at Charlton Athletic.

He made his Pompey debut in a 1-1 draw at Sheffield United and was a first team regular for Pompey over the remainder of the 2006/07 season.

However, the much-maligned figure was little more than a fringe player in the 2007/08 season and spent second half of the campaign on loan at Rennes.

He was expected to leave Fratton Park on a permanent basis ahead of the 2008/09 season.

The Mali international started his career at French club Laval before joining Liverpool in 1999 in a £500,000 move.

Dubbed the most promising young defender in France, Liverpool won his signature ahead of AC Milan, PSG and Lazio. The player broke into the first team at the start of the 2000/01 season, making his Premiership debut in a 1-0 win over Bradford City at Anfield.

After losing his starting place in the side, Traore returned to France at the end of August 2001, joining Lens on a season-long loan.

The experience clearly helped him, as he became an important player for Liverpool on his return in the 2002/03 season. But he could not shake the critics, with many claiming he would have to be replaced if Liverpool were to challenge in the Premiership.

He figured only 11 times in 2003/04, leading to talk of a transfer. Nevertheless Traore remained with Liverpool even after Rafa Benitez took charge ahead of the 2004/05 term and became a first team regular.

Although he played throughout Liverpool's amazing run to Champions League glory - including the whole of the comeback victory over AC Milan in the final - Traore became a figure of ridicule for pundits and supporters alike thanks largely to his embarrassing gaffe against Burnley in the FA Cup when he managed to turn the ball into his own net, sent Liverpool crashing out.

In 2005/06 his opportunities were limited by Benitez's moves to strengthen the defence and he became a marginalised figure falling behind John Arne Riise, Stephen Warnock and later Fabio Aurelio.

He was sold to Charlton in August 2006 for a fee of £2million, making his debut for the Addicks against West Ham. It was an inauspicious start as he was sent off for two yellow cards.

After injury and poor form restricted Traore to a meagre total of just 13 appearances for Charlton he was allowed to join Portsmouth.

He played just one game for Pompey in 2008/09 before joining Birmingham City on loan in February 2009.