WHAT HELD LOUIS SAHA BACK AT UNITED?

Louis Saha would appear on the list of top strikers of the Premier League ever, but the English import would likely lag behind the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Thierry Henry, Luis Suarez, Michael Owen and others.


The weak knees and constant injuries limited him from establishing a legendary status for the Red Devils. The former Frenchman joined Man United for £12 million in the January transfer window of 2004. The former Fulham player was added to the squad to support the efforts of United legend Van Nistelrooy.

Louis Saha would appear on the list of top strikers of the Premier League ever, but the English import would likely lag behind the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Thierry Henry, Luis Suarez, Michael Owen and others.


The weak knees and constant injuries limited him from establishing a legendary status for the Red Devils. The former Frenchman joined Man United for £12 million in the January transfer window of 2004. The former Fulham player was added to the squad to support the efforts of United legend Van Nistelrooy.

Saha scored more than 60 goals in his three-and-a-half year time at Fulham. An impressive record for a star player that could have ended up as a goalkeeper. He started out in the famous Clairfontaine academy in his home country, growing up with raw talents as Thierry Henry, William Gallas, and Nicolas Anelka. He moved to FC Metz in 1997, before joining Newcastle United to play under Dutch legend Ruud Gullit. He didn’t impress in England, and his return to France didn’t yield much fruits either. Fulham took a risk on him, and it paid off. He scored 27 goals to help them get promotion, aside picking up the Golden Boot award.

His Premier League showing attracted Sir Alex Ferguson, but his 15 goals in 22 matches record in 2003/04 forced him to reach out to sign the player. Saha started his career at Old Trafford with a bang, but Injuries soon became a constant distraction. His partnership with Wayne Rooney was epic, even the Red Devils skipper named him his best partner. After van Nistelrooy sale to Real Madrid, Saha was elevated, with Cristiano Ronaldo a budding force in the attack. His injuries forced him to move on from Old Trafford, signing a pay-as-you-play deal with Everton in 2008. He scored 35 goals in his over 100 games for Everton before his switch to Spurs. He has received a lot of praise from players and managers, but the what-if feeling exists. If only he was injury-free, what height he could have reached is a question no one can answer.