Matt LE TISSIER is a
retired English footballer. One of English footballer’s most
talented, and hugely under-appreciated by national managers. An
attacking midfielder with exceptional technical skills, Le Tissier is
the second-highest ever scorer for Southampton behind Mick Channon
and was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1990. He was also the
first midfielder to score 100 goals in the Premier League. Le Tissier
was born in Guernsey, and played youth football on the island with
Vale Recreation between the ages of seven and sixteen. He moved to
Oxford in 1984 for trials with the football club, but returned to
Guernsey a few weeks later suffering from home sickness. Upon
leaving school in 1985 he signed for Southampton on the YTS scheme.
The following year Le Tissier made his club debut in a 4–3 defeat
at Norwich City in the Football League First Division, and by the end
of that season had scored six goals in 12 starts and 12 subsitute
appearances. He made 19 league appearances in 1987–88, failing to
score, but in 1988–89 scored nine times in 21 starts. He was voted
PFA Young Player of the Year for the 1989–90 season, in which he
was one of the league's top goalscorers with 20 goals.
He played in
443 games for the Saints, scoring 161 goals, with most of them
screamers. During the season 1994-95, he won the Match of the Day
Goal of the Season award for his drifting 40-yard lob against
Blackburn Rovers, scoring against his long term friend and former
Southampton keeper, Tim Flowers. Undoubtly the best spell in his
career was under the reign of Alan Ball between January 1994 - May
1995, when he scored 45 goals in 64 games in all competitions.
Throughout his career, Le Tissier had a fearsome reputation for
scoring from the spot, converting 47 of the 48 penalties that he took
for Southampton. His sole failure to convert came on 24 March 1993 in
a match against Nottingham Forest, his spot kick being saved by
Forest keeper Mark Crossley, the feat being so unique that Crossley
describes it as the save of which he is most proud. However, despite
being one of England’s most talented players at the time, national
team manager Terry Venables decide Le Tissier wasn’t good enough to
play for his country. Then in 1998 Le Tissier was controversially
left out of Glenn Hoddle's World Cup squad after scoring a hatrick in
an England 'B' game against Russia. The Guernsey born attacker only
won eight caps for the Three Lions. If he played for one of England’s
top clubs, Le Tissier could have played for England many times and
won many trophies. But he didn’t, he is a loyal, one club man and
will always be remembered fondly for that.e Tissier remained at
Southampton for his entire professional career, his loyalty garnering
special affection from Southampton's fans who nicknamed him "Le
God".
His career in Panini &
Merlin stickers form the first one in 1988 to his last season in
2002 :
And now watch this
incredible video below, accompanied by a bit of Mozart, to remind
yourself just how good Le Tissier was :
P.S : Matt LE TISSIER sole failure to convert a penalty and a big save by Mark Crossley :
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