Anthony Le Tallec
Le Tallec playing for Le Mans in 2009
Personal information
Date of birth (1984-10-03) 3 October 1984[1]
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)
2001–2008 Liverpool 17 (0)
2001–2003 → Le Havre (loan) 54 (7)
2005 → Saint-Étienne (loan) 7 (1)
2005–2006 → Sunderland (loan) 27 (4)
2006–2007 → Sochaux (loan) 25 (4)
2007–2008 → Le Mans (loan) 26 (5)
2008–2010 Le Mans 70 (14)
2010–2012 Auxerre 52 (8)
2011–2012 Auxerre B 2 (0)
2012–2015 Valenciennes 71 (20)
2014 Valenciennes B 2 (1)
2015–2017 Atromitos 53 (13)
2017 Astra Giurgiu 18 (1)
2018–2019 Orléans 37 (8)
2019–2021 Annecy 17 (2)
Total 478 (88)
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.

Club career

Liverpool

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]

Le Tallec scored his first and only Liverpool goal in a UEFA Cup tie against NK Olimpija Ljubljana in October 2003.[4] 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 F.C.[5] 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 six goals in all competitions; this included a header against Fulham, helping the Black Cats pick up their only home win.[6]

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.[7]

Return to France

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.[8]

On 31 August 2007, it was reported that Scottish Premier League club Heart of Midlothian were close to signing Le Tallec.[9] 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.[10]

In July 2008, Le Mans decided to make the loan permanent, signing Le Tallec to a four-year contract.[11][12] 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.[13]

Atromitos

On 19 July 2015, Le Tallec signed with Atromitos F.C. for two years.[14] He cited the possibility of playing in the UEFA Europa League as the main reason for his signature.[15]

Later years

On 3 July 2017, the 32-year-old Le Tallec joined FC Astra Giurgiu in the Romanian Liga I.[16] He returned to his country in the following transfer window, moving to Ligue 2's US Orléans.[17]

In September 2019, Le Tallec signed with Annecy FC.[18]

He retired from professional football in May 2021 after a twenty-year career.[19]

Personal life

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.[20]

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.[21]

Career statistics

As of match played on 6 February 2021[22][23][24]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Liverpool 2003–04 Premier League 13040204[lower-alpha 1]1231
2004–05 4000003[lower-alpha 2]070
2005–06 0000002[lower-alpha 2]020
Total 170402091321
Sunderland (loan) 2005–06 Premier League 27400——274
Sochaux (loan) 2006–07 Ligue 1 12400——124
Le Mans 2007–08 Ligue 1 26500——265
2008–09 34600——346
2009–10 3680021—389
Total 96190021009820
Auxerre 2010–11 Ligue 1 22110103[lower-alpha 2]0271
2011–12 2431021—274
2012–13 Ligue 2 640020—84
Total 528205130629
Auxerre B 2011–12 CFA 20———20
Valenciennes 2012–13 Ligue 1 20510——215
2013–14 1720010—182
2014–15 Ligue 2 34132010—3713
Total 71203020007620
Valenciennes B 2013–14 CFA 2 21———21
Atromitos 2015–16 Super League Greece 27781—3[lower-alpha 1]0388
2016–17 26640——306
Total 531312100306814
Astra Giurgiu 2017–18 Liga I 18120—4[lower-alpha 1]1242
Orléans 2017–18 Ligue 2 9100——91
2018–19 2673040—337
2019–20 2000——20
Total 378304000448
Annecy 2019–20 National 2 6121——82
2020–21 National 11111——122
Total 172320000204
Career total 4048029315219246787

Honours

Club

Liverpool

Sochaux

International

France U17

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Anthony Le Tallec". L'Équipe (in French). Paris. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  2. 1 2 Yau Tan, Choon (24 April 2009). "Bright future ahead for rising French cousins". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  3. ↑ Anthony Le Tallec – FIFA competition record (archived)
  4. ↑ "Liverpool overwhelm Olimpija". BBC Sport. 15 October 2003. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
  5. ↑ "Liverpool 2–1 Juventus". BBC Sport. 5 April 2005. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  6. ↑ "Sunderland 2–1 Fulham". ESPN Soccernet. 4 May 2006. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  7. ↑ Harrold, Michael (28 May 2006). "Double celebration in Braga". UEFA. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "Cissé's bid for glory thwarted by fellow red". Liverpool F.C. 12 May 2007. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  9. ↑ "Nade completes switch to Hearts". BBC Sport. 31 August 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
  10. ↑ "Anthony Le Tallec signe au MUC 72" [Anthony Le Tallec signs with MUC 72] (in French). Le Mans FC. 31 August 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
  11. ↑ "Le Tallec exits Reds for Le Mans". BBC Sport. 2 July 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  12. ↑ "Le Tallec leaves Liverpool for Le Mans". FIFA. 2 July 2008. Archived from the original on 3 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  13. ↑ "Le Tallec, 4 ans à Auxerre" [Le Tallec, 4 years with Auxerre]. L'Équipe (in French). 27 June 2010. Archived from the original on 28 June 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
  14. ↑ "Le Tallec signs at Atromitos". SDNA. 19 July 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  15. ↑ "Former prodigy Anthony Le Tallec signs for Atromitos". Gulf News. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  16. ↑ "Anthony Le Tallec a semnat cu Astra Giurgiu! Atacantul francez a fost fotbalistul lui Liverpool, cu care a cucerit Liga Campionilor" [Anthony Le Tallec signed with Astra Giurgiu! The French forward was a Liverpool footballer, with whom he won the Champions League]. Libertatea (in Romanian). 3 July 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  17. ↑ "Anthony Le Tallec signe finalement à Orléans!" [Anthony Le Tallec signs finally with Orléans!]. L'Équipe (in French). 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  18. ↑ "Transferts: Anthony Le Tallec au FC Annecy en National 2" [Transfers: Anthony Le Tallec to National 2's FC Annecy]. L'Équipe (in French). 2 September 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  19. ↑ "Interview | Anthony Le Tallec: I'm so proud to have played for LFC". Liverpool F.C. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  20. ↑ "La galère de Le Tallec en Ukraine" [Le Tallec's ordeal in Ukraine] (in French). Sport. 22 March 2014. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  21. ↑ Sommerlad, Joe (8 June 2023). "Ex-Liverpool footballer witnessed knife attack in French Alps: 'I saw injured children on the ground'". The Independent.
  22. ↑ Anthony Le Tallec at Soccerway
  23. ↑ Anthony Le Tallec at ESPN FC
  24. ↑ Anthony Le Tallec at FootballDatabase.eu
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