![]() Le Tallec playing for Le Mans in 2009 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | [1] | 3 October 1984||
Place of birth | Hennebont, France | ||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) [1] | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Youth career | |||
1992–2001 | Le Havre | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2002–2008 | Liverpool | 17 | (0) |
2002–2003 | → Le Havre (loan) | 25 | (5) |
2004–2005 | → Saint-Étienne (loan) | 10 | (1) |
2005–2006 | → Sunderland (loan) | 27 | (3) |
2006–2007 | → Sochaux (loan) | 0 | (0) |
2007–2008 | → Le Mans (loan) | 0 | (0) |
2008–2010 | Le Mans | 96 | (19) |
2010–2012 | Auxerre | 52 | (8) |
2012–2015 | Valenciennes | 71 | (20) |
2015–2017 | Atromitos | 53 | (13) |
2017 | Astra Giurgiu | 18 | (1) |
2018–2019 | Orléans | 37 | (8) |
2019–2021 | Annecy | 17 | (2) |
International career | |||
2001 | France U17 | 6 | (3) |
2005–2008 | France U21 | 4 | (5) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Anthony Le Tallec (born 3 October 1984) is a French former professional footballer who played as a forward or an attacking midfielder for Liverpool, Sochaux, and Annecy FC.
Born in Hennebont, [1] Le Tallec was signed from Le Havre AC by Liverpool in 2001, along with his cousin Florent Sinama Pongolle, [2] by manager Gérard Houllier. This was after impressive performances for France at the UEFA European Under-16 Championship and the FIFA U-17 World Cup, with the player being awarded the 'Silver Ball' as the second best player (behind his cousin) in the latter tournament as the national team emerged champions; [3] both players remained a further two years at Le Havre, loaned by the Reds. [2]
After making his Liverpool debut in a league match against Blackburn Rovers, [4] Le Tallec scored his first and only Liverpool goal in a UEFA Cup tie against NK Olimpija Ljubljana in October 2003. [5] After his return, he also featured in the club's victorious run in the UEFA Champions League, starting in the home leg of the quarter-final tie against Juventus FC [6] but failing to appear in the squad of 18 for the final itself.
For 2005–06, Le Tallec joined fellow Premier League side Sunderland on loan, in a bid to gain some more first-team football. He stated: "I am a competitor and I want to play all the time, but with Liverpool it was impossible. I chose to come to Sunderland because I need to play every week". In a disappointing season for the club, who finished bottom of the table, he was its top scorer with only five goals in all competitions; this included a goal on his debut against Manchester City and a header against Fulham, helping the Black Cats pick up their only home win. [7] [8]
In May 2006, after Sunderland announced they would not be looking to retain his services, Le Tallec returned to Liverpool but was not given a squad number by boss Rafael Benítez. At the end of the month, he joined up with the French under-21s for the European Championship which took place in Portugal, only featuring in the final group match after the team had already secured qualification and being substituted after 61 minutes. [9]
In August 2006, Le Tallec moved to FC Sochaux-Montbéliard on another loan deal. He won the Coupe de France scoring a late equaliser after coming off the bench in the final, which eventually led to a penalty shootout against Olympique de Marseille – a fellow Liverpool player out on loan, Djibril Cissé, netted two goals in the match for the opposition. [10]
On 31 August 2007, it was reported that Scottish Premier League club Heart of Midlothian were close to signing Le Tallec. [11] However, the player ended up moving to Ligue 1 team Le Mans Union Club 72, on loan for the entire season with a view to a permanent deal for approximately £1.1 million pounds. [12]
In July 2008, Le Mans decided to make the loan permanent, signing Le Tallec to a four-year contract. [13] [14] On 27 June 2010, following their top flight relegation, he reached an agreement with fellow league club AJ Auxerre for a four-year deal, worth €3 million. [15]
On 19 July 2015, Le Tallec signed with Atromitos F.C. for two years. [16] He cited the possibility of playing in the UEFA Europa League as the main reason for his signature. [17]
On 3 July 2017, the 32-year-old Le Tallec joined FC Astra Giurgiu in the Romanian Liga I. [18] He returned to his country in the following transfer window, moving to Ligue 2's US Orléans. [19]
In September 2019, Le Tallec signed with Annecy FC. [20]
He retired from professional football in May 2021 after a twenty-year career. [21]
Le Tallec's younger brother, Damien, is also a footballer. Another French youth international who was groomed at Le Havre, he started his professional career in Germany with Borussia Dortmund. [22]
In June 2023, Le Tallec was a witness to a mass stabbing attack in an Annecy park in which four children and an adult were injured. [23]
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Liverpool | 2003–04 | Premier League | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 [a] | 1 | 23 | 1 |
2004–05 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 [b] | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
2005–06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 [b] | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
Total | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 32 | 1 | ||
Sunderland (loan) | 2005–06 | Premier League | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 3 | ||
Sochaux (loan) | 2006–07 | Ligue 1 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 4 | ||
Le Mans | 2007–08 | Ligue 1 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 5 | ||
2008–09 | 34 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 6 | ||||
2009–10 | 36 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 38 | 9 | |||
Total | 96 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 20 | ||
Auxerre | 2010–11 | Ligue 1 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 [b] | 0 | 27 | 1 |
2011–12 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 27 | 4 | |||
2012–13 | Ligue 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 4 | ||
Total | 52 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 62 | 9 | ||
Auxerre B | 2011–12 | CFA | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
Valenciennes | 2012–13 | Ligue 1 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 5 | ||
2013–14 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 2 | |||
2014–15 | Ligue 2 | 34 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 37 | 13 | ||
Total | 71 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 20 | ||
Valenciennes B | 2013–14 | CFA 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | |||
Atromitos | 2015–16 | Super League Greece | 27 | 7 | 8 | 1 | — | 3 [a] | 0 | 38 | 8 | |
2016–17 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 6 | ||||
Total | 53 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 68 | 14 | ||
Astra Giurgiu | 2017–18 | Liga I | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 4 [a] | 1 | 24 | 2 | |
Orléans | 2017–18 | Ligue 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 1 | ||
2018–19 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 33 | 7 | |||
2019–20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
Total | 37 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 8 | ||
Annecy | 2019–20 | National 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 8 | 2 | ||
2020–21 | National | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 12 | 2 | |||
Total | 17 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | ||
Career total | 404 | 80 | 29 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 19 | 2 | 467 | 87 |
Liverpool
Sochaux
France U17
Individual