 Le Tissier in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matthew Paul Le Tissier[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 14 October 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | Saint Peter Port, Guernsey | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | 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 | 17 | (3) |
| 2013 | Guernsey | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 461 | (164) | |
| 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 professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Le Tissier spent his entire professional club career with Southampton, before turning to non-League football in 2002; his loyalty garnered special affection from Southampton's fans who nicknamed him "Le God".[3]
A creative attacking midfielder with exceptional technical skills,[4] 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 the first midfielder to score 100 goals in the Premier League. He is notable for his record at scoring penalty kicks—converting from the spot 47 times from 48 attempts—and is considered one of the greatest ever from the 12-yard spot.[5] Born in Guernsey, Le Tissier opted to represent England, winning eight caps from 1994 to 1997. In 2011, he became honorary president of Guernsey 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 the Sky Sports show Soccer Saturday until August 2020. In his retirement, he has made several posts on social media, concerning COVID-19 and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, which were met with criticism.[6]
- ^ "Matt Le Tissier". England Football Online. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- ^ "Matthew Le Tissier: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- ^ Jenson, Pete (14 August 2012). "Matt Le Tissier: 'Le God' preaches new gospel for coaches". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
- ^ "Matthew Le Tissier". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
On his day the mercurial midfielder-cum-striker can beat players for fun, score goals from seemingly impossible situations and display sheer brilliance.
- ^ "Masters from the penalty spot". uefa.com. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ Stokel-Walker, Chris (7 April 2022). "Big pharma and social media: how Matt Le Tissier fell into the conspiracy theory trap". inews. Retrieved 9 April 2022.