National team caps and goals correct as of 11:16, 13 June 2007 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)
Louis Laurent Saha (born 8 August 1978 in Paris, France) is a French international footballer of Guadaloupian descent who plays for the English club, Manchester United. He made his English football debut on loan from F.C. Metz to Newcastle United in 1999, making 11 appearances and scoring one goal before returning to Metz. He was transferred to Fulham for £2.1million in 2000. During a spell of nearly four years at the club, he scored 63 goals in total.
In January 2004 he moved to Manchester United for £12.825 million, and was handed the number 9 shirt which had been vacant since the departure of Andy Cole two years earlier. Saha scored from a free-kick on his United debut in a 3-2 win over Southampton F.C. on 31 January 2004. In February 2004, Saha capped another debut appearance with a goal, on this occasion for the French national team, in a 2-0 victory against Belgium. Saha ended the season with 7 goals from 13 appearances for United and he looked to have developed a promising partnership with Ruud van Nistelrooy.
However, the arrival of Alan Smith (from Leeds United for £6million) and then Wayne Rooney (from Everton for £30million) pushed Saha down the pecking order and he was linked with a move away from the club less than a year after arriving. His 2004-05 season was badly hit by a succession of injuries and he managed only two goals. 2005-06 also began with injury setbacks, but Saha has silenced his critics with a series of strong performances since his return to first-team action in November 2005. He has replaced van Nistelrooy as United's main striker after the Dutchman has left the club. A member of the French national team and now fairly well established in the squad, Saha was a part of the squad at the 2004 European Football Championship.
The conclusion of the 2005/06 season finally saw Saha pick up his first medal in the Carling Cup 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic, in which Saha scored one of the goals.
He was picked in the 2006 World Cup Squad squad for France as a forward, along with Thierry Henry and David Trézéguet as well as Djibril Cissé, Sylvain Wiltord and Franck Ribéry. He was unable to play in the final due to receiving his second yellow card of the knockout stages in the semi-final against Portugal.
He got his 2006-2007 Champions League campaign off to a good start, scoring two goals in United's 3-2 win against Celtic. He also scored against Benfica in the Champions League.
In the next Champions League fixture against Celtic at Parkhead, Saha missed a crucial penalty in the 89th minute which would've drawn the game 1-1. He said that "1000 'sorry's" was not enough to apologise to the Manchester United fans. He made up for his mistake by scoring a clever 20 yard goal against league rivals and reigning Premiership champions Chelsea. He further proved his worth by scoring a successful bottom-left of goal penalty against Middlesbrough F.C., and notching the crucial 2nd goal in the Manchester derby taking his tally to 8 league goals. This took his overall Premiership goal tally to 50, equalling the feat achieved by Wayne Rooney 39 minutes earlier. He has now achieved a degree of popularity with fans. Chants of 'Knowing me, knowing you -- Sahaaa!' to the tune of the ABBA song of a similar name, have been heard in Salford pubs.
Saha signed an extension to his contract at Manchester United F.C. on 20th December 2006, tying him to the English Premiership club until 2010.
He also helped Manchester United win the 2006/07 Barclays English Premier League. However throughout the 2nd half of the season he was injured, and did not manage to make a full return to the first team for the remainder of the season.
Saha recently received a knee operation in the United States. His agents say he will be fit and ready to play for Manchester United in mid-September.

Honours