Anthony Le Tallec, somewhat surprisingly, remains a Liverpool player.
The player who is now 22, was heralded by Gerard Houllier on his signing, as a potential world-beater. He arrived in 2001 at the tender age of 16 after two impressive youth tournament appearances.
But for his 17 Liverpool appearances in 6 years, the player still remains on Liverpool books. The reason is all to do with wages.
In his 6 Anfield years he has spent 2 years on loan to Le Havre, then went on to have season long spells at St. Etienne, Sunderland and last season Sochaux, where he scored a late equaliser in the French Cup final. Sochaux would be interested in purchasing the player but his wages are the stumbling block.
“It is no longer a question of getting an additional attacker, save perhaps Anthony,” said the Sochaux club President Jean-Claude Plessis.
“But that remains subject to conditions that we all know about. He has an English salary and I can’t break the wage bill of this club like that.”
So Le Tallec is still at Liverpool, picking up the nice little paycheck while giving nothing back to our football club. Interestingly these words were spoken by the man himself as the reason behind one of his loan moves away from Anfield.
"I am a competitor and I want to play all the time, but with Liverpool it was impossible.
I couldn't agree more Anthony. Take a pay cut, leave and stop ripping off our club.
First off, can I suggest you read the forum attached to this website & take a good look through my posts before questioning my loyalty to this club.
Secondly, I make no apologies for being wound up at the way Le Tallec has carried on, it is mercenary, pure & simple. It has nothing to do with the fact that he isn’t good enough for us, I didn’t feel Craig Bellamy was good enough but I didn’t slate him as he showed some determination to come here by turning down higher offers. In fact it has nothing to do with our club even, it is the fact that he is squandering a chance that so many people wish they had, to play football at a professional level, just for money. Even if he is gonna be selfish and choose his career options purely for financial reasons he should move on now, the longer he doesn’t play the lower the offers are gonna get.
Hi EddieC,
“Take a pay cut, leave and stop ripping off our club”- This is the author;s idea of giving something back to the club.
It’s the ripping off our club bit that he’s being made a scapegoat for- Houllier made the contract. At the time he and Pongolle were signed, even Sir Alex Ferguson congratulated GH on securing 2 of the most in-demand footballers on the youth circuit.
We didn’t develop them, so now they ought to do us a favour by leaving. It’ll be on their terms, not ours, in this instance.
Some Liverpool fan you are, likewise, trashing one of our guys, irrespective of whether you value what he brings to the club.
Seems you can be at LFC and yet still walk alone, eh?
Sherief, and by that token little minky, are you actually Liverpool fans, or indeed football fans at all?
To say he’s making Le Tallec a scapegoat is pathetic, he’s merely raising the point that the guy is obviously purely interested in money, and has no ambition or care for his development as a footballer.
Any footballer worth their salt wants games, all the time you see players taking a paycut to get regular football elsewhere. Players like Le Tallec wind me up so much, as there are millions out there who can only dream of having his talent & playing professional football just for the love of the game, all he can think about is where he’ll get the biggest paycheck.
i agree with sherief
a potential world beater ? are we talkin about the same player?
He could sign for Hearts, seen as they need a new keeper, give hime a few lessons from ray clemence video’s and off he goes.
What’s his salary?
His contract expires in the summer of 2009!
Just how long did Ged sign Le Tallec and Pongolle for?
The headline and tone of this article is ridiculous.
WE, our club, signed him, gave him this contract, and now we expect him to do us this favour of taking a pay cut by leaving?
What world do you live in, mate? If he didn’t make the grade, then fair enough. He’s young enough to find a club for him elsewhere, once he’s a free agent, but until then, he’s entitled to stay where he is.
It is Liverpool’s stupid contract practices which got us here in the first place. Taking it out on Le Tallec the beneficiary is scapegoating of the highest order.
Could at least spend some of his money on improving his hairstyle (admittedly an old picture, but had to be said).
Does anyone know when his contract expires?