 Le Tissier in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matthew Paul Le Tissier[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1968-10-14)14 October 1968 (age 57) | ||
| Place of birth | Saint Peter Port, Guernsey | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1975–1984 | Vale Recreation | ||
| 1985–1986 | Southampton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1986–2002 | Southampton | 443 | (161) |
| 2002–2003 | Eastleigh | ||
| 2013 | Guernsey | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 444 | (161) | |
| International career | |||
| Guernsey U15 | |||
| 1986 | England Youth | 1 | (0) |
| 1990–1998 | England B | 6 | (3) |
| 1994–1997 | England | 8 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Matthew Paul Le Tissier (/ləˈtɪsieɪ/; born 14 October 1968) is a former professionalfootballer who played as amidfielder. Le Tissier spent his entire professional club career withSouthampton, before turning to non-League football in 2002; his loyalty garnered special affection from Southampton's fans who nicknamed him "Le God".[3]
Regarded as a creativeattacking midfielder with exceptional technical skills,[4] Le Tissier is the second-highest-ever scorer for Southampton behindMick Channon, and was votedPFA Young Player of the Year in 1990. He was the first midfielder toscore 100 goals in thePremier League. He scored 47penalty kicks from 48 attempts, and is considered one of the greatest ever from the 12-yard spot.[5] Born inGuernsey, Le Tissier opted to representEngland, winning eightcaps from 1994 to 1997. In 2011, he became honorary president ofGuernsey F.C., and briefly came out of retirement to play for the club in 2013.
Following his retirement as a player, Le Tissier became a football pundit, and worked as a panellist on theSky Sports showSoccer Saturday until August 2020. In his retirement, he has made several posts on social media, concerningCOVID-19 and the 2022Russian invasion of Ukraine, which were met with criticism.[6]
Le Tissier was born inGuernsey, a Britishcrown dependency, and played youth football on the island withVale Recreation between the ages of seven and sixteen. At fifteen, he had a trial at English clubOxford United, but nothing came of it.[7]
Signing forSouthampton onYouth Training Scheme forms in 1985 and then signing professional forms in October 1986, Le Tissier made his club debut in a 4–3 defeat atNorwich City in theFirst Division, and by the end of that season had scored six goals in 24 league games, including a hat-trick againstLeicester City in the league. He scored his first two competitive goals in aLeague Cup third-round replay at home toManchester United on 4 November 1986, a game which Southampton won 4–1 and wasRon Atkinson's last in charge of the visitors, his sacking coming within 48 hours of the result.
Le Tissier made 19 first team league appearances in the1987–88 season, failing to score, but in the1988–89 season, rediscovered his scoring touch and reclaimed his first team place, scoring nine times in 28 league games.[8]
Le Tissier was votedPFA Young Player of the Year for the1989–90 season, in which he was one of theleague's top goalscorers with 20 goals as Southampton finished seventh in the First Division, the club's highest finish for five years.[8][9]
Le Tissier's highest-scoring league season was in the1993–94 season, in which he scored 25 league goals.[10] The following season, he won theMatch of the DayGoal of the Season award for his drifting 40-yard chip againstBlackburn Rovers, scoring against his long-term friend, and former Southamptonkeeper,Tim Flowers.[11]
Le Tissier's goal tally for the season regularly went well into double figures for the league alone throughout the 1990s, playing a major role in Southampton preserving their top flight status into the new millennium as they came close to relegation on five occasions in the first seven seasons of the Premier League – including one season when they only survived on goal difference. He was the subject of interest from many big clubs in England and a number from overseas during this time[citation needed], particularly fromChelsea,Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, but the transfer from Southampton never happened and Le Tissier would ultimately remain a Southampton player until his retirement.
In August 1995, Chelsea reportedly made a £10 million bid for Le Tissier which would have made him the most expensive player in English football at the time. Shortly afterwards, defending league championsBlackburn Rovers were reportedly trying to sign him for a similar fee.[12]
On 2 April 2000, Le Tissier scored a last-minutepenalty for Southampton in a 2–1 defeat toSunderland. This brought his tally ofPremier League goals to 100, making him only the sixth player and first midfielder to reach this milestone.[13]
Le Tissier scored the last goal in the final competitive match played atThe Dell on 19 May 2001, againstArsenal.[14] This turned out to be his last goal for Southampton. He played several games for the club during the2001–02 season, the first season at the newSt Mary's Stadium, in an eventual 11th-place finish. His final competitive appearance for theSaints came againstWest Ham United on 30 January 2002.[15] He announced on 29 March 2002 that he would retire from playing at the season's end after limping off with a recurrence of a calf strain during areserve team game againstCharlton Athletic.[16]
Le Tissier's final match, atestimonial against an England XI in May 2002, ended in a 9–9 draw, with Le Tissier playing 45 minutes for each side, while his ten-year-old son Mitchell came on as a substitute in the second half, scoring four times.[17]
Throughout his career, Le Tissier had a fearsome reputation for scoring from the spot, converting 47 of the 48penalties that he took for Southampton.[18] His sole failure to convert came on 24 March 1993 in a match againstNottingham Forest, his spot kick being saved by Forest keeperMark Crossley, the feat being so unique that Crossley describes it as the save of which he is most proud.[19]
Le Tissier played in the top division of English football for 16 consecutive seasons, being a regular player for the majority of them, but never won a major trophy or played in a European competition, with Southampton's highest finish during his career being the seventh place final position in 1990.
After leaving Southampton, Le Tissier had a two-season-long spell with non-league sideEastleigh, where he played alongside his former Southampton teammateDavid Hughes.[20][21] He made his debut in a 3–0 victory overNewport (IOW) in theHampshire Senior Cup in October 2002.[22] He played his last match for the club early in August 2003, starring in theHampshire Chronicle Cup Final second-leg victory againstWinchester City.[23]
On 7 April 2013, ten years after retiring from football, Le Tissier announced he had come out of retirement and signed with his hometown clubGuernsey. A number of fixture postponements meant that they had to play 17 league fixtures in a month, and Le Tissier announced that he would be able to play in four or five games, also saying he was unable to play Saturday games due to his job as a television pundit onSoccer Saturday.[24] He made his only appearance for the club on 24 April, as a substitute for Ollie McKenzie, in a 4–2 defeat in theirCombined Counties League Premier Division clash withColliers Wood United.[25]
Le Tissier represented Guernsey's under-15 side, playing in the 1983Muratti Vase final against Jersey U15.[26]
Le Tissier chose to play forEngland, joining a relatively smallgroup of players who were not born in the country, and earned eightcaps over three years. Guernsey, although largely self-governing, does not have an official FIFA national team, which made Le Tissier, as a British passport holder, eligible to play for England. He was picked by the managerTerry Venables to start theill-fated friendly match against theRepublic of Ireland atLansdowne Road, on 15 February 1995. With Ireland leading from a 22nd-minute goal byDavid Kelly, a group of England fans rioted, causing the Dutch refereeDick Jol to abandon the match.[27]
In the run-up to the1998 FIFA World Cup, Le Tissier scored ahat-trick in a 4–1 victory forEngland B against Russia B atLoftus Road;[28] despite this, he was overlooked by managerGlenn Hoddle for the final squad. He never played for England again after the tournament.[1]
Le Tissier was a creative and technically giftedattacking midfielder, with an eye for goal, known for his ball striking, and ability to get into good attacking positions, in addition to his vision, and ability to create chances for teammates; these abilities also enabled him to play as asupporting striker on occasion, or even on theright wing, although this was not his favoured position. Despite his poor work-rate, and lack of notable pace or stamina, he was known for his excellent control, technique, balance, anddribbling skills, as well as his intelligence on the ball, and his use of tricks andfeints, which allowed him to beat opponents.[36] He was also known for his extreme accuracy onpenalties.[5]
FormerBarcelona player and managerXavi Hernandez idolised Le Tissier in his youth.[37]
On the former site ofThe Dell, which wasSouthampton F.C.'s old stadium, the names of apartment blocks honour Southampton Football Club players; one is named Le Tissier Court.[38] At Southampton F.C.'s current ground,St Mary's Stadium, one of the hospitality suites is named after him.[39]
On 7 February 2007, a plane in theFlybe fleet was named after him on his home island ofGuernsey.[40][41]
AfterSouthampton's relegation to level three in 2008–09, Le Tissier initially offered to help with a bid to take over the club, but later withdrew,[42] amidst some controversy.[43]
In September 2009, Le Tissier revealed in hisautobiography that he had placed aspread bet on a match he was involved in during his playing career. During an April 1995 match atWimbledon, Le Tissier stood to win "well into four figures" after betting on the time of the first throw-in. After kicking off, he tried to overhit a pass to unsuspecting teammateNeil Shipperley, but due to nerves, underhit it and Shipperley was able to keep the ball in play. Le Tissier revealed he had "never run so much" in his life as he tried to put the ball out of play to avoid losing money, with the ball eventually going out of play after 70 seconds, meaning Le Tissier and his associates neither won nor lost money.[44] The event was investigated byHampshire Police but theCrown Prosecution Service refused to take the case further, citing that it did "not represent appropriate use of police resources" and "would not be in the public interest".[45]
Le Tissier made a cameo appearance for Southampton inClaus Lundekvam's testimonial againstCeltic, on 18 July 2008.[46] Lundekvam had previously played with him at Southampton from 1996 to 2002.
In 2011, Le Tissier accepted the position of Honorary President ofGuernsey F.C.[47]
In August 2016, Le Tissier and ex-Southampton teammateFrancis Benali announced that they had gone into business asfootball agents. Speaking about their joint business venture, Le Tissier commented that their aim was to provide "guidance and support on every aspect of a footballer's career – on and off the field". Benali added: "We've got a real passion for football and are keen to impart our experience and knowledge to help players make the right decisions for their careers."[48] He was a long-term panellist onSky Sports showSoccer Saturday until August 2020 when he was dropped.[49] Whilst working for Sky Sports, Le Tissier said that he was required to wear aBlack Lives Matter badge and was only told this "about a minute" before the show started. After wearing the badge for one show he subsequently refused to, and he believed that this contributed to his dismissal.[50][51]
In 2019 and 2020, Le Tissier featured in both seasons ofITV showHarry's Heroes, which featured former football managerHarry Redknapp attempting to get a squad of former England international footballers back fit and healthy for a game against Germany legends.[52]
In 2020, Le Tissier became an outspoken critic of the reaction to theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. He issued several tweets criticising what he deemed to be an "overreaction" by the government and media, among others, opposing lockdowns and mask orders.[53] An image he posted on Twitter which implied a comparison between theHolocaust and having to wear masks during the pandemic was deleted.[54] In 2021, Le Tissier drew widespread criticism again for promoting unverified correlations, when he suggested thatChristian Eriksen's on-pitch cardiac arrest was an adverse reaction to being vaccinated, despite Eriksen not being vaccinated.[55][56] In November 2021 he faced further criticism, this time by epidemiologists, as one of several former professional footballers "demanding investigations into links" between onfield collapses and COVID vaccinations, after three footballers collapsed in one week.[57]
Le Tissier retweeted a post on Twitter concerning theBucha massacre, committed duringRussia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, suggesting the media was lying in its coverage of the event.[58] Following backlash, Le Tissier stepped down from his role as a Club Ambassador at Southampton on 6 April.[56][59]
On 4 May 2022,Jersey Bulls cancelled an appearance of Le Tissier after he was previously announced as the special guest at their awards dinner following fan backlash.[60]
In February 2024, Le Tissier was probed by theAdvertising Standards Authority for misconduct while promoting and advertising Supreme CBD, owned by ex-boxerAnthony Fowler.[61] Fowler along with other celebrities includingPaul Merson, Le Tissier andJohn Hartson have all been investigated and issued with a warning by the ASA.[62] The ASA investigation concluded that their social media posts have been found to be commercial in nature, and not "honest" opinions about the benefits of CBD, since they were being financially rewarded for their posts. The investigation also concluded that the posts made by these celebrities were making unlawful medical claims about the use of CBD, which is prohibited by theMedicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.[63]
In June 2024, Le Tissier joined non-league clubSholing as an associate director.[64]
Le Tissier married his childhood sweetheart Cathy, and had two children. The couple divorced in 1997; Cathy and the children moved back toGuernsey, after which he had a relationship withHome and Away andEmmerdale actressEmily Symons,[65] before marrying Angela Nabulsi in April 2008 in a small ceremony. Together, they have one daughter. All three of Le Tissier's brothers – Mark, Kevin and Carl – also played football, but never professionally.[66] Mark is currently secretary ofGuernsey F.C.[67]
Le Tissier is not related to fellow Guernsey born football playerMaya Le Tissier, although her father did play football with him.[68]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Full Members Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Southampton | 1986–87 | First Division | 24 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 31 | 10 |
| 1987–88 | First Division | 19 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 2 | |
| 1988–89 | First Division | 28 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 11 | |
| 1989–90 | First Division | 35 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | – | 44 | 24 | ||
| 1990–91 | First Division | 35 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 23 | |
| 1991–92 | First Division | 32 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 51 | 15 | |
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 40 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | – | 44 | 18 | ||
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 38 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 | 25 | ||
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 41 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | – | 49 | 30 | ||
| 1995–96 | Premier League | 34 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | – | 43 | 10 | ||
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 31 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | – | 38 | 16 | ||
| 1997–98 | Premier League | 26 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | – | 30 | 14 | ||
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 30 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 33 | 6 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 21 | 3 | ||
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | 10 | 2 | ||
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 443 | 161 | 33 | 12 | 52 | 27 | 12 | 9 | 540 | 209 | ||
| Eastleigh | 2002–03 | Wessex Premier Div. | – | – | ||||||||
| 2003–04 | Southern Lge. Eastern Div. | – | – | |||||||||
| Guernsey | 2012–13 | C. Counties Premier Div. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 444 | 161 | 33 | 12 | 52 | 27 | 12 | 9 | 541 | 209 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1994 | 5 | 0 |
| 1995 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 8 | 0 | |
Southampton
Eastleigh
Individual
On his day the mercurial midfielder-cum-striker can beat players for fun, score goals from seemingly impossible situations and display sheer brilliance.
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| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |