Le Tallec playing for Le Mans in 2009
| |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1984-10-03) 3 October 1984 (age 39)[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) |
| 2005–2010 | Stoke City | 15 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | → Stockport County (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | → St. Mirren (loan) | 28 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Ajax | 6 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | → Excelsior (loan) | 34 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | ADO Den Haag | 26 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Geylang International | 43 | (0) |
| 2016 | Young Lions | 6 | (0) |
| Total | 167 | (0) | |
| 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.
Born in Hennebont,[1] Le Tallec was signed from Le Havre ACbyLiverpool 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 FC[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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Liverpool | 2003–04 | Premier League | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[a] | 1 | 23 | 1 |
| 2004–05 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 32 | 1 | ||
| Sunderland (loan) | 2005–06 | Premier League | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 4 | ||
| Sochaux (loan) | 2006–07 | Ligue 1 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 4 | ||
| Le Mans | 2007–08 | Ligue 1 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 5 | ||
| 2008–09 | 34 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 6 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 36 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 38 | 9 | |||
| Total | 96 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 20 | ||
| Auxerre | 2010–11 | Ligue 1 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 27 | 1 |
| 2011–12 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 27 | 4 | |||
| 2012–13 | Ligue 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 4 | ||
| Total | 52 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 62 | 9 | ||
| Auxerre B | 2011–12 | CFA | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Valenciennes | 2012–13 | Ligue 1 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 5 | ||
| 2013–14 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 2 | |||
| 2014–15 | Ligue 2 | 34 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 37 | 13 | ||
| Total | 71 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 20 | ||
| Valenciennes B | 2013–14 | CFA 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | |||
| Atromitos | 2015–16 | Super League Greece | 27 | 7 | 8 | 1 | — | 3[a] | 0 | 38 | 8 | |
| 2016–17 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 53 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 68 | 14 | ||
| Astra Giurgiu | 2017–18 | Liga I | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 4[a] | 1 | 24 | 2 | |
| Orléans | 2017–18 | Ligue 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2018–19 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 33 | 7 | |||
| 2019–20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 37 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 8 | ||
| Annecy | 2019–20 | National 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 8 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21 | National | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 12 | 2 | |||
| Total | 17 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 404 | 80 | 29 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 19 | 2 | 467 | 87 | ||
Liverpool
Sochaux
France U17
