Louis Saha Bio Send To Friend  

Saha's dream move to Manchester United was hit by injury and a subsequent struggle for form and confidence. And that's despite the occasional flurry where Saha's game fits United like a glove.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson eventually lost patience with the injury-plagued striker in the summer of 2008 and attempted to off-load Saha to Sunderland.

That move fell through and Everton eventually signed the French forward on a two-year deal, for an undisclosed fee, three days before the transfer window slammed shut.

Saha offered to sign on a pay-as-you-play basis due to his injury history but Everton opted against that and agreed a conventional contract.

The France international, signed for United from Fulham for just shy of £13million in January 2004, enjoyed a fine start to his Old Trafford career.

But he was dogged by fitness problems in 2004/05, meaning he started only seven Premiership games, and when he was in the team the goals did not flow. He scored just two goals in all competitions.

With Wayne Rooney signed from Everton before the start of that season, Saha's position at United had been marginalised.

He began the 2005/06 season behind both Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy after missing the first three months of the campaign with yet another injury.

But when Saha returned to fitness he began to discover some of the form which led to United investing so much money in his talents. It led to them coming to the decision that Ruud Van Nistelrooy was surplus to requirements. And Saha looked as though he could be the man for United until injury and the loan signing of Henrik Larsson derailed his season. As United took the title he scored only one goal after the turn of the year to add to the 12 he had bagged in a blistering start to the season.

In 2007/08, with Carlos Tevez at United and further injry ills, Saha made just six Premier League starts though earned another winners' medal. At the end of the season there was some talk of him being sold - until a fresh injury meant he would be going nowhere.

Saha first came to the attention of English football fans back in January 1999 when he joined Newcastle United on a four-month loan from French side FC Metz.

He returned to English shores in the summer of 2000 when Fulham boss Jean Tigana paid Metz £2.1million for the Paris-born star. Saha would spearhead Fulham's march to the First Division title with an outstanding 32 goals.

It wasn't until the 2003/04 campaign that Saha finally came of age in the Premiership. He attracted interest from bigger clubs and it was Manchester United who showed their hand when the transfer window opened in January.

Saha signed for the Red Devils for a fee of £12.82million on January 23, 2004. Fulham received £11.5m, the Premier League £575,000 and agents picked up £750,000 for their part in the deal.

The classy former Under-21 international had bagged an impressive 15 goals in 21 starts by that point in 2003/04 and joined Manchester United with an eye on a call-up to the full France squad.

Saha made his debut against Southampton, and it took him just 18 minutes to open his account. In a pulsating start to his Old Trafford career, he bagged a brace in the following match at Everton.

He was then called up by France boss Jacques Santini - and scored on his debut in Belgium. That led to a place in the squad for Euro 2004, where he made two substitute appearances.

After bagging seven goals in nine Premiership starts for United before the end of the 2003/04 campaign, he looked an astute signing.

But his 2004/05 campaign was ruined by injury. He picked up a knee problem in a World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands in September, ruling him out of action for six weeks.

There was further anger for United when Saha picked up another knee injury on international duty, this time in playing an international friendly against Poland in November. This time he was out of the side for almost two months.

Saha returned to the first team in the Carling Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea, but in February he was injured again and featured in only four more matches that term. A return of just two goals was a huge disappointment.

United hoped to have the striker back to full fitness for the start of 2005/06, but he suffered yet another knee injury in a pre-season friendly against Urawa Reds which put him on the treatment table under November 22.

He was fit to earn a place in the France World Cup squad in Germany 2006 but continually struggled with injuries for United. Old Trafford is unlikely to see a fully fit and firing Saha again.