Manchester United made a major statement of intent in the summer of 2016 by completing the signing of Paul Pogba from Juventus for a then world-record £89 million fee.
Pogba, 25, was previously on the books at Old Trafford as a youngster, but four years after leaving the club as a highly-promising prospect he returned as one of the most highly rated midfield talents on the planet.
In 2016, Squawka named him the best player under the age of 23 in world football, and since then he has continued to develop and enhance his skills, playing a key role in Juventus’ league and cup success in the 2015/16 season, United’s Europa League triumph in 2017 and France’s 2018 World Cup win.
But where did it all start for United’s No.6? The midfielder joined the Red Devils (in a complicated transfer) from Le Havre, a club that is famous for its youth academy. It was here where he spent his formative years, and his performances for the club eventually attracted the interest of United.
But it’s not just Pogba; over the years Le Havre have produced an incredible number of players who went on to star both in France and the rest of Europe. So here are 12 more who took the same path as Pogba. Think of them as gifts that Le Havre gave to the world of football.
1. Paul Pogba
Lewis Baker (L) and George Saville (R) of Chelsea in action against Paul Pogba of during the FA Youth Cup at Stamford Bridge on April 10, 2011.
We start with the player Le Havre are famed for, the one that everyone references when talking about the club, even if he is just 25.
Pogba joined Le Havre in 2007, and even though he only spent a couple of seasons with the club, his performances were crucial for the academy and that quickly brought him to the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
2. Lassana Diarra
Saint-Etienne midfielder David Hellebuyck (R) vies with Le Havre defender Lassana Diarra during their French League Cup match, 21 December 2004.
Like other good players, Diarra found it hard to break into football because so many academies deemed him to be too small and weak.
It was Le Havre who gave him a chance, bringing him in during the 2003/04 season.
With regular football and a club who played him in his best position, Diarra excelled and like Pogba earned a big move of his own, this time to José Mourinho’s Chelsea.
It took Diarra a while again to prove himself on the biggest stage, but he did just that with Real Madrid and impressed once more with Marseille during the 2015/16 campaign, but was released in February 2017 after struggling for appearances. He recently played for oil-rich French side Paris Saint-Germain before mutually terminating his contract earlier this month.
3. Florent Sinama Pongolle
Sinama Pongolle was born on the island of Réunion but joined Le Havre as part of their partnership with Saint-Pierroise, a club on the island, when he was still very young.
He spent six years with the academy before eventually joining Liverpool along with his cousin Anthony Le Tallec, although he made far more appearances than his relation.
Both players spent two years back at Le Havre on loan as part of the deal.
4. Steve Mandanda
Most consider Steve Mandanda to be synonymous with Marseille, but he actually made over 70 appearances for Le Havre before moving on to bigger things.
He kept a clean sheet on his debut for Le Havre, and that display was certainly a sign of things to come as he excelled during an eight-year spell in Marseille, before moving to Crystal Palace in summer 2016. After making just nine league appearances for the Eagles he moved back to Marseille the following summer, where he remains to this day.
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5. Mamadou Niang
Carles Puyol breaks away from Mamadou Niang during Barcelona and Al-Sadd Sports Club’s Club World Cup final in 2011.
Despite spending his youth career with Le Havre, it was with Troyes that Niang turned professional. However, it wasn’t until he joined Strasbourg that he really started to show what he was capable of, before going on to enjoy great success with Marseille.
Whether playing out wide or up front, Niang was a fantastic player to watch and after spells in Turkey and Qatar, Niang returned to playing in France with Arles-Avignon but retired later on in July 2015.
6. Guillaume Hoarau
Guillaume Hoarau (R) vies with Sedan defender Ismael Traore (L) during their French L2 football match in 2008.
Hoarau made the journey from Saint-Pierroise to Le Havre but had to wait for his chance, with the club originally feeling that he was too thin to make it as a potential player.
Hoarau eventually got his chance, signing his first professional contract at the age of 20. Even then it took him a while to really establish himself, with the forward having to go through four managers and one loan spell before playing and scoring regularly for the side, which quickly saw him snapped up by Paris Saint-Germain. He currently plays for Swiss side BSC Young Boys, scoring a brace as they downed Italian champions Juventus 2-1 in the Champions League group stages earlier this season.
7. Dimitri Payet
Dimitri Payet misses a goal for Nantes against Bordeaux in 2006.
Payet’s reputation in the game sky-rocketed after he followed up a breathtaking debut season in the Premier League with West Ham United by starring at Euro 2016 for the French national team.
Like Hoarau and Sinama Pongolle, he moved from the island of Réunion to Le Havre as part of their partnership. However, unlike most players on this list, the move really didn’t work out as there were concerns over his attitude and work-rate. After a controversial transfer saga at the Hammers, Payet returned to France with his former club Marseille in 2017.
8. Carlos Kameni
Kameni dives for the ball at the 2000 at the Sydney Olympics.
After helping Cameroon win the Olympics in 2000 at the age of 16, Kameni was quickly signed by Le Havre who saw him as a long-term replacement for Alexander Vencel, who was well into his 30s at the time.
However, he couldn’t break into the first-team and was offloaded to Espanyol, with Mandanda coming in a short while later from the academy. Widely considered to be one of the finest African goalkeepers of all-time, at the age of 35, Kameni is currently lining up for Fenerbahçe SK in Turkey.
9. Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez (R) during a French cup match between Belfort (ASMBFC) and Le Havre in 2013.
Mahrez technically never played for Le Havre’s academy, as he turned professional with Quimper before moving to the French club.
However, it was with Le Havre that he really started to make waves which attracted the attention of Leicester City, where became their chief tormentor of defences.
Mahrez was voted the Premier League’s Player of the Season after helping the Foxes claim the most unlikely title win in the history of the competition in 2016. The Algerian made a big-money move to Premier League champions Manchester City in the summer and has scored 10 goals for the club so far.
10. Benjamin Mendy
Benjamin Mendy (R) with Mende’s Nicolas Brunel (L) during the French Cup match Mende vs Le Havre at the Jean-Jacques Delmas stadium on January 22, 2013.
One of many players who started with Le Havre and eventually ended up at Marseille, Mendy made plenty of appearances for Le Havre before moving to the South Coast of France.
He’s still just 24 but having made over 100 league appearances for Marseille, Mendy’s form influenced Monaco’s decision to spend over £10 million to sign him in 2016. This was bettered by Manchester City, who bought the defender to the Premier League 2017 for a mighty £52 million.
Mendy has since won the Premier League with the Citizens, as well as securing a 2018 World Cup winners’ medal with France.
11. Jean-Alain Boumsong
Boumsong played for Newcastle United, Juventus and Lyon during his playing career, but it was with Le Havre that he first started in France, arriving in the country at the age of 14.
He left the club following relegation and won the Coupe de France with both Auxerre and Lyon, as well as one Scottish Premier League title and a Ligue 1 crown.
12. Vikash Dhorasoo
Perhaps not a name that everyone will remember. But with the ball at his feet, Dhorasoo was one of the finest dribblers Ligue 1 has seen.
He was born near Le Havre, so it’s little surprise that he ended up joining the club before quickly establishing himself as one of their best players.
He eventually won two Ligue 1 titles with Lyon, but his most lasting legacy will be the film “Substitute”, documenting his peripheral role in France’s 2006 World Cup campaign.
13. Souleymane Diawara
Diawara made over 100 league appearances for Le Havre before they were relegated from Ligue 1 and he joined Sochaux.
He was part of the side there that won the 2003/04 Coupe de Ligue and went on to win the trophy three more times with Bordeaux and Marseille, as well as winning a league title with each club.
English fans may remember Diawara’s one-season stint with Charlton Athletic in 2006-07.
The post 13 familiar players Le Havre’s youth system has given football appeared first on Squawka News.
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