it`s going to be exciting and interesting to see two of my

FREDERIC
KANOUTÉ
Former Lyon frontman Fredi Kanouté became a popular figure here at White Hart
Lane, playing a total of 60 Premier League matches for us between 2003 and 2005,
scoring 14 goals in the process. The Mali international, now playing for Chinese Super
League side Beijing Guoan, recently spoke to Andy Greeves about his memories of
two of his former clubs who meet tonight.
How did you come to be signed by
Olympique Lyonnais as a
youngster?
Lyon is the biggest club in the
Rhone-Alpes region and they scout
extensively around the area. I was
playing for a team near to where I
grew up and we played in lots of
youth tournaments. I was spotted by
Lyon at 11 years of age and invited for
a trial with them. They liked what
they saw and I stayed there all the
way until 2000 when I got
transferred to West Ham United.
You made your Lyon debut against
Polish side Odra Wodzislaw in the
Intertoto Cup in June, 1997. What do
you remember about that game?
I will never forget that day. I made
my debut along with my good
friend Joseph-Desire Job (formerly
of Middlesbrough) who scored a
hat-trick and I also scored, so it
was a good debut!
How big a team are Lyon in French
football?
Over the last 10 or 15 years, Lyon
have probably been the strongest
team in France, regularly
performing in the Champions
League and doing well in Ligue 1.
French football has had many
strong teams throughout its history.
Many people in England will
remember the great St Etienne
team of the 1970s that did so well in
Europe. There was also a strong
spell of domination by Marseille in
the 1980s and 1990s and, more
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recently, Paris Saint-Germain have
become a real force too.
What do you class as your biggest
highlight playing for Lyon?
My first year with Lyon was very
special and I can recall playing in the
UEFA Cup that season, getting a 2-1
win at the San Siro against Inter Milan
in one match. The most important
thing was the knowledge that I’d
finally made it as a professional. I
learnt so much about the game at
Lyon and have so many fond
memories, going back to my time in
the academy. I will always be grateful
to everyone connected to that club.
You moved to London in 2000 to
join West Ham United and lived in
the city for five years until the end
of your spell with Spurs. How much
of a home was London to you?
Of all the cities I have lived in, I have
to say London is my favourite. I had
five wonderful years there, with
London being such an easy city to
adapt to. I was 22-years-old when I
first arrived in London and I feel I
became an adult during my time in
the city. From my career point of
view, playing in the English Premier
League was very important as it
helped develop my game and made
me a better player.
What were your thoughts when
the opportunity to join
Tottenham Hotspur arose in the
summer of 2003?
When I had the opportunity to join
Tottenham it was one I couldn’t turn
down. The club is so well run and has
always had quality players. It was
another move forward for me in my
career and I think I developed once
again with Spurs to help make me
the player I was at Seville.
A lot of Spurs fans will remember
you for your remarkable goal
against Everton in a 3-0 win at
White Hart Lane on October 4,
2003. What do you remember
about it?
It was in my debut season for
Tottenham and it was a close game
at the time, with few chances.
Suddenly from a long kick downfield
from Kasey Keller, I won a flick-on
header in the air, which Gus Poyet
headed back into my path. I just hit
the ball as hard as I could and it flew
into the back of the net from outside
the area. It was a very memorable
moment for me.
Who were your best friends in the
dressing room during your time
with us?
Everyone treated me well at
Tottenham and I had lots of friends. I
knew Jermain Defoe and Michael
Carrick from my time at West Ham,
who are nice guys and brilliant
footballers. Robbie Keane was a
player I had a lot of respect for and I
also got on very well with Anthony
Gardner, Ledley King, Reto Ziegler,
Mido and Thimothee Atouba. There
were many other people at the club
that I could mention too.
A WORD WITH...
“IT’S GOING TO BE EXCITING
AND INTERESTING TO SEE
TWO OF MY OLD TEAMS
GOING HEAD TO HEAD IN
THIS MATCH. BOTH TEAMS
HAVE QUALITY PLAYERS
What was it like playing against
Spurs for Seville at White Hart
Lane in the quarter finals of the
UEFA Cup back in 2007?
It was strange, but also lovely playing
back at White Hart Lane to play for
Seville. It was great to see London
again and, of course, my old
teammates and people I knew at the
club. We played well and secured the
result we needed to progress, which
eventually saw us go on to win the
UEFA Cup that season.
Do you still watch English football
and if so, what have you made our
fortunes over recent seasons?
I still follow all of my former clubs and
it has been great to see the success
Tottenham have achieved in recent
seasons. They now have a realistic
prospect of finishing in the top four
every season and hopefully playing
Champions League football every
year. I was very impressed with a
game I saw them play recently
against Manchester United. They
played great football and also didn’t
give up when they had gone a goal
down. I was very pleased to see them
get the draw they deserved.
Who do you think will come out on
top in tonight’s Europa League tie
between two of your old sides?
It’s going to be exciting and
interesting to see two of my old
teams going head to head in this
match. Both teams have quality
players and there is very little
between them. I was at a Lyon
game recently during my close
season break from China and they
are undoubtedly still one of the
best teams in France. The quality
of the Barclays Premier League
and the Spanish La Liga is
certainly higher than Ligue 1 in
France though and for that reason,
I would say that Spurs go into the
match as slight favourites. But
anything can happen in cup
oject for orphaned
and vulnerable
children in the
country of my
father’s birth, Mali.
This is a project
close to my heart
as my father was
orphaned as a
very small child.
The primary
focus of Kanouté
football and Lyon cannot be
underestimated.
Can you tell us more about your
charitable organisation, the
Kanouté Foundation?
I established the Kanouté
Foundation in 2004 while I was
playing for Tottenham to
primarily realise the vision of a
project for orphaned and vulnerable
children in the country of my
father’s birth, Mali. This is a project
close to my heart as my father was
orphaned as a very small child. The
primary focus of Kanouté
Foundation is to provide children’s
welfare and education and the
Sakina Children’s Village, in Mali, is
an orphan welfare project of the
Kanouté Foundation which includes
a health centre and school open
that are open to the public.
For more information on the Kanouté
Foundation or to make a donation visit
www.KanouteFoundation.com.
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