Pascal Cygan

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Pascal Cygan
Personal information
Full name Pascal Cygan [1]
Date of birth (1974-04-29) 29 April 1974 (age 50) [2]
Place of birth Lens, France
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) [2]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Wasquehal
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1994–1995 Wasquehal
1995–2002 Lille 179 (10)
2002–2006 Arsenal 63 (3)
2006–2009 Villarreal 45 (2)
2009–2011 Cartagena 57 (0)
Total344(15)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Pascal Cygan (born 29 April 1974) is a French former footballer. His favoured position was central defender, but he could also play as a left back.

Contents

After starting out at Lille in his country, Cygan would play four years in the Premier League with Arsenal and three in La Liga with Villarreal, in a 17-year professional career.

Early life

Cygan was born in Lens, Pas-de-Calais. [3]

Career

Lille

Cygan started his senior career in the ranks of lowly ES Wasquehal before going professional with Lille OSC in 1995, making his Division 1 debut that year but also going on to also spend three seasons in Division 2. In 1999–2000 he was an instrumental defensive element for the champions and, in the subsequent top-flight campaign, helped them achieve a third-place finish, with qualification to the UEFA Champions League. [4]

In this time, Cygan was also promoted to the captaincy, seen as a role model to help develop the younger players. He was also winner of the Etoile d'Or in his last year in France. [5]

Arsenal

Cygan joined Arsenal in July 2002 for £2 million, [6] [7] making his debut in a 1–1 draw with Chelsea on 1 September after coming on as a late substitute for Nwankwo Kanu. [8] While he featured notably in some of the team's more important fixtures, he was mostly considered only a fringe player; he missed the 2003 FA Cup final through injury, [9] but did pick up a Premier League winners' medal in 2004 after contributing with 18 appearances. [10] [11]

Cygan scored three goals for Arsenal in league action, including an unlikely brace in his first game of 2005–06 against Fulham (4–1 home win). [12] Until then he had only netted once, against Everton in March 2003. [13]

Also that season, following injuries to both Ashley Cole and Gaël Clichy, Cygan was drafted in as an emergency left back, and was even named in the Opta team of the week on 9 January 2006. [14] Overall, his side won 12 of the 20 matches he played in and kept 11 clean sheets in the process. He suffered a hamstring injury in January against Middlesbrough [15] and was unable to play again that season as he was fourth choice behind Sol Campbell, Philippe Senderos and Kolo Touré, with young Johan Djourou also competing for a place. [16] [17]

Cygan played 98 competitive games during his spell at Highbury, including 20 in the Champions League. [18] [19]

Spain

In August 2006, Cygan completed a transfer to Villarreal CF for a £2 million transfer fee, joining former Arsenal teammate and compatriot Robert Pires at the club. [20] [21] On 6 June 2008, after having been fairly used in his first two years, mainly due to consecutive serious injuries to Gonzalo Rodríguez, he signed a new one-year deal. [22] However, following a lack of first-team opportunities in 2008–09, [23] and with Villarreal unwilling to extend his contract for a further campaign, he left in July 2009; [24] [25] his La Liga goals came on 5 November 2006 against Real Betis (3–2 home win), [26] and against Levante UD on 31 October 2007 (3–0, also at El Madrigal). [27]

On 10 August 2009, Cygan joined FC Cartagena, recently promoted to Segunda División, on a one-year deal. [28] Aged 37, he was released by the Murcians and retired from professional football. [29]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition [30]
ClubSeasonLeagueCup [lower-alpha 1] Continental [lower-alpha 2] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lille 1995–96 Division 1 27060330
1996–9714010150
1997–98 Division 2 26310273
1998–9921110221
1999–200033220352
2000–01Division 1292292
2001–02292100392
Total1791011010020010
Arsenal 2002–03 Premier League 18120110311
2003–041803030240
2004–051505030230
2005–061225030202
Total633150200983
Villarreal 2006–07 La Liga 211211
2007–082016050311
2008–09402060
Total4528050582
Cartagena 2009–10 Segunda División 260260
2010–11310310
Total5700000570
Career total3441534035041315

Honours

Lille

Arsenal

FA Cup 2005

Individual

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