FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

He may not have figured in the French national team since November 2004, but Louis Saha has remained very much a part of Raymond Domenech’s thoughts. A squad member at UEFA Euro 2004, this left-footed centre-forward will experience his second major international competition with Les Bleus this summer. After first catching the eye at Metz, Saha’s subsequent move to Fulham saw him set London alight (53 goals in 118 appearances). He signed for the Red Devils in January 2004 and after being out injured for most of 2005, Saha has worked hard to get back to top form. Courtesy of an exceptional 2005-2006 campaign (15 goals in 45 matches), he has kept Dutch ace Ruud van Nistelrooy on the bench at Manchester United and has now regained his place in the French squad.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

A player blessed with lightning pace but also prone to introspection, in recent seasons Louis Saha has blossomed into a striker to be feared.

Club
Saha's senior career began with FC Metz in 1997/98 where he operated primarily as a winger. He spent the second half of the 1998/99 season on loan to Newcastle United FC and in 2000 he made a permanent move to England, joining Fulham FC for €3m. Saha's 27 league goals were crucial to Fulham's promotion as champions but though he struck twice on his Premiership debut against Manchester United FC he found top-flight football tougher until 2004/05, when his form prompted United to move for him in an €18.5m January transfer. His career stuttered at Old Trafford after scoring six goals in his first six appearances before he finally broke through in late 2005/06, scoring in the League Cup final win against Wigan Athletic FC and ousting Ruud van Nistelrooij from the starting XI.

National team
A product of the Clairefontaine academy, Saha scored France's golden goal winner in the 1997 UEFA European Under-18 Championship final against Portugal. Scored on his senior debut in a friendly against Belgium on 18 February 2004 and played at UEFA EURO 2004™ and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, although suspension ruled him out of the final against Italy.

Did you know?
Saha gave his first child a quintessentially English name, Stanley.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

A player blessed with lightning pace but also prone to introspection, Louis Saha has blossomed in recent seasons into a striker to be feared.

National team
A product of the French Football Federation's Clairefontaine academy, he played in the same junior side as Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka, scoring France's golden goal winner in the 1997 UEFA European Under-18 Championship final against Portugal. He also won Under-21 caps before finally earning his chance at senior level, an occasion he marked with a debut goal in a friendly against Belgium on 18 February 2004.

Club
Saha's senior career began with FC Metz in 1997/98 where he operated primarily as a winger. In the second half of the 1998/99 season, he went on loan to Newcastle United FC only to return to France after five months. After another 12 months at Metz, however, he did make a permanent move to England, joining first division side Fulham FC for €3m in summer 2000.

2000: Playing under former French international Jean Tigana, Saha took to English football instantly, his 27 league goals contributing in no small measure to Fulham's promotion as champions – and earning him the first division's player of the year award. He struck twice on his Premiership debut against Manchester United FC but found top-flight football tougher, finishing his first season with eight goals. The next season was one of struggle for Fulham, who only narrowly avoided relegation and Saha, hampered by injury problems, only managed five goals in 17 Premiership games.

2003/04: However, his flying form in the first half of the following campaign – he hit 12 goals before January - prompted United to move for him in an €18.5m transfer. Scored six goals in his first six appearances in addition to making his UEFA Champions League debut against FC Porto.

Did you know?
Saha gave his first child a quintessentially English name, Stanley.

©uefa.com 1998-2004. All rights reserved.

BBC's UEFA EURO 2004 player's profile

Louis Saha's Euro 2004 selection crowns a great year for the ex-Metz striker.

Saha notched up 12 goals in the first half of the season for Fulham, who he joined in 2000, earning him a £12.8m move to Manchester United.

The goals continued to flow at Old Trafford, forcing Jacques Santini to look at him as a possible replacement for the suspended Djibril Cisse.

Called up for the friendly against Belgium, Saha scored on his debut and provides striking cover in Portugal.

Saha's strengths are his lighting pace and tight control.

He scored 32 goals for Fulham to help them to promotion in his first season in England but then took time to adjust to life in the top-flight.

©bbc.co.uk 2004. All rights reserved.