 |
Matthew Le TissierEnglish footballer, striker
Date of Birth: 14.10.1968
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Matt Le Tissier
Matt Le Tissier, an English footballer of Guernsey descent, was born in 1968 on the island of Guernsey, which is located in the English Channel and is part of the Channel Islands. He played his entire career for Southampton Football Club and represented the English national team. Le Tissier, a forward, is known for being the first attacking midfielder to score 100 goals in the Premier League.
Early Career
Le Tissier began his football career at the local youth club, Val Recreation. After finishing school in 1985, he went for a trial at Oxford United but instead signed a contract with Southampton. He made his debut for Southampton on September 2, 1986. Le Tissier went on to play 443 games for Southampton, including 52 in the FA Cup, 33 in the League Cup, and 12 in other official matches, totaling 540 appearances. He scored 209 goals, converting 48 out of 49 penalties (the only penalty he missed was saved by Mark Crossley). Le Tissier's most prolific season was 1993/94 when he scored 30 goals. In the 1995/96 season, he received an award for the best goal of the season, scored in a match against Blackburn Rovers.
Final Years and International Career
Le Tissier scored the last goal at Southampton's former stadium, The Dell, on May 19, 2001, in a match against Arsenal which Southampton won 3-2. He played a few games in the 2001/02 season, including at Southampton's new stadium, St. Mary's. Le Tissier played his final match in the 11th round of the English Premier League and announced his retirement afterward. In 2002, a farewell match was held for Le Tissier, where he played for both teams and the match ended in a high-scoring 9-9 draw.
Le Tissier's outstanding performances for Southampton earned him the title of one of the club's greatest players in history. He had excellent striking abilities with both his left and right foot and earned the nickname "Le God" for his fantastic goals. Despite being born on an island not formally part of Great Britain, Le Tissier was eligible to represent any British national team. Rumors circulated that he was invited to play for the Scottish national team, but both the Scottish Football Association and Le Tissier denied this information. He chose to play for the English national team and represented them in eight matches from 1994 to 1998. However, Le Tissier was often overlooked by the England team's managers, and many believed he would have had more opportunities to showcase his talent if he played for France or Italy.
Le Tissier's best international performance is considered to be a match against the Russian reserve team, where he scored a hat-trick and hit the crossbar twice. Despite his excellent display, he was not selected by England's manager Glenn Hoddle for the 1998 FIFA World Cup held in France. England reached the Round of 16 without Le Tissier but were eventually eliminated by Argentina in a penalty shootout.
After divorcing in 1997, Le Tissier's ex-wife, Cathy, moved to Guernsey with their two children.
