Max Gradel
Encyclopedia
Max-Alain Gradel is an Ivorian
footballer who plays for Saint-Étienne
in the French Ligue 1
after joining from Leeds United.
Max received his first call up to the Côte d'Ivoire national team
in November 2010. He made his debut for the national side on 5 June 2011. On 30 April 2011, Gradel won both the Fans Player Of The Year Award and The Players Player Of the Year Awards at Leeds.
Aaron Jacob, who was one of his early mentors. He attended the Bon Giourno Cup in Holland and the team went on to win the trophy conceding no goals, with Max scoring 12 of 17. He was due to attend the Dallas Cup
with the team but was offered a Pro contract and made the decision not to go. "Everything started at Lewisham College," says Max. "We were all good players in the Football Academy; I think I made it a bit by chance."
Max began playing football when he was two years old in the Ivory Coast, before coming to London via Paris. After leaving Lewisham College, Max was offered trials with Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham and Leicester and spent four months with Arsenal before signing with Leicester. From there he moved to Leeds United where he played regularly for the Championship side.
A player at Leicester City F.C. Gradel The winger was given a squad number
for the 2007–08 season. On 5 May 2007, he signed his first professional contract with Leicester along with seven other players, including Eric Odhiambo
, Andy King and Carl Pentney
.
made Gradel and Conrad Logan
available for loan for the forthcoming season. On 9 August 2007 Gradel joined Bournemouth
on an initial one-month loan, which was extended for the season on transfer deadline day (31 August). However, he was unable to play as many games with the Cherries as he had hoped due to the death of his mother in early October. As a result, he was told by Bournemouth manager Kevin Bond
that he could take all the time he needed to return to England.
He returned to Leicester early on 3 January 2008, although Bond stated he wanted to take him back to Bournemouth on loan again, a move which was completed for the rest of the season on 11 January. Gradel's form at Bournemouth earned him a new three-year deal at Leicester, which he signed on 6 February.
(MK Dons) on 9 August 2008, setting up a goal as Leicester won 2–0 at the Walkers Stadium
. On 14 August, Gradel signed a new contract that would last until June 2012. He scored his first senior goal in a 2–1 FA Cup
defeat to Crystal Palace
on 14 January 2009, and his first league goal in a 2–2 draw against MK Dons on 28 February, scoring an equalising free-kick at injury time. His free kick away at MK Dons won the Goal of the Season award at the Leicester City Supporters Club Awards on 23 April. Gradel made 32 appearances in all competitions as Leicester secured their promotion
as league champions. In the following season however, Gradel made just one substitute appearance in the League Cup.
on loan for a month. He made his debut as a substitute in a 2–1 win over Norwich City
that same evening. Gradel scored his first goal for Leeds on 31 October against Yeovil Town
within minutes after coming on as a substitute, which prompted chants from the crowd of "Grayson sign him up".
Leeds manager Simon Grayson
said he wanted to extend Gradel's loan move beyond the initial month. Gradel himself stated he would like to extend the loan deal at Leeds and even hinted he would be happy to move to Leeds on a permanent deal. Leicester refused Leeds permission to play Gradel in their FA Cup
game against Oldham Athletic
. Gradel started his first game for Leeds in the 3–1 win against Grimsby Town
, contributing to Leeds' first goal as his cross was diverted by Oliver Lancashire
into his own net. The game would have been the last of Gradel's initial one month loan. The loan was extended to 2 January 2010 on 13 November.
Gradel scored the winning goal for Leeds in the 89th minute against Leyton Orient
after coming off the bench for Leeds. He made his first start in the league for Leeds against Oldham. He provided two assists in the same game for Neil Kilkenny
's and Luciano Becchio
's goals. Gradel scored three minutes after coming on for Leeds as a substitute in the West Yorkshire derby against Huddersfield Town
. He made his second league start for Leeds in the game against Brentford, due to the suspension of Robert Snodgrass
.
Gradel replaced Jermaine Beckford
as a substitute against Southampton, and he made an immediate impact in the same game, minutes after coming on Snodgrass curled a shot into the top right corner to seal Leeds' win. Gradel handed in a transfer request on his return to Leicester, and he was signed by Leeds United on a two-and-a-half-year contact on 25 January for an undisclosed fee
. His first appearance as an under contract Leeds player came as a second half substitute in the 3–0 defeat to Swindon Town
.
After being unavailable for Leeds' FA Cup loss against Tottenham Hotspur
, Gradel came back into the Leeds squad and the starting lineup against Hartlepool United
in Leeds' 2–2 draw. He retained his place in the starting 11 for the next game against Carlisle United
in the Trophy second leg game, which Leeds won 3–2 but were knocked out 6–5 on a penalty shootout, with Gradel converting his penalty for Leeds. After Jermaine Beckford
returned from injury Gradel dropped back to Leeds' bench.
Gradel received the man of the match award against Yeovil Town
in Leeds' 2–1 win. In the following game Gradel kept his place up front and scored for Leeds against Southend United
in a 2–0 win. Then, he followed it up in the next match scoring in a 3–1 away win against Carlisle United, with Gradel opening up the scoring and Luciano Becchio
scoring a brace. Gradel's sixth goal for Leeds came in Leeds' 4–1 win against MK Dons. Gradel was sent off for violent conduct in Leeds United's final match of the 2009–10 season against Bristol Rovers
when after a moment of madness he got himself sent off then refused to leave the pitch in the first half of the match, but Leeds won the game 2–1 and were promoted to The Championship.
at Elland Road
. Gradel scored a goal in the game by scoring a long range effort. Due to Gradel's red card the previous season and his refusal to leave the pitch he missed the first four games of the season through suspension.
Gradel returned from his four match suspension in the second round of the League Cup when he made his first start of the season against his former club Leicester. He managed to gain an assist in the game, providing a cross for Davide Somma
's goal. His first league appearance came in the following game, when he came on as a second half substitute in the 1–0 win away to Watford
. Gradel made his first league start of the season, when Lloyd Sam
was dropped for the game against Swansea City
on 11 September. Gradel scored his first goal of the Championship season against Scunthorpe United
. Gradel scored his second goal of the season against Coventry City
after scoring a penalty. Gradel's third goal of the season came against Norwich City
. Gradel scored his fourth goal of the season against Burnley which started Leeds's comeback to win 3–2 after being 2–0 down. On 18 December, Gradel scored his fifth and sixth goals of the season when he scored both goals in Leeds' 2–0 win over league leaders Queens Park Rangers
. Gradel scored his 7th goal of the season against his former club Leicester City with a header
Gradel's form for Leeds has seen him attract interest from Premiership clubs Gradel scored his 8th goal of the season against Portsmouth. Newcastle United showed an interest in Gradel and manager Simon Grayson confirmed that he wasn't looking to sell the in-form Gradel. After an impressive December, Gradel was named as one of the nominee's for The Championship player of the month. 8 January, Gradel won a penalty against Arsenal
which was dispatched by Robert Snodgrass
as Leeds earned an impressive 1–1 draw. 15 January, Gradel scored his 9th goal of the season against Scunthorpe United Gradel scored his 10th goal of the season against Bristol City. On 22 February, he scored his 11th and 12th goals of the season in the home fixture against Barnsley. Gradel's 13th and 14th goals of the season came in the same game in the 5–2 win against Doncaster Rovers. Gradel's impressive form for Leeds during the 2010–11 season earned special praise by manager Simon Grayson
. On 2 April, Gradel scored his 15th and 16th goals of the season against Nottingham Forest. Gradel scored his 17th goal of the season against Derby County
in Leeds' 2–1 loss. On 30 April, Gradel won Leeds' 2010–11 Player Of The Year Award and also the Players Player Of The Year Award at Leeds annual Player award ceremony. After winning the award Gradel announced that he wanted to stay at Leeds to help them reach The Premiership. Gradel also revealed he would like to extend his contract at Leeds. Gradel scored his 18th goal of the season in the final match in Leeds' 2–1 win against Queens Park Rangers. In the summer of 2011 Gradel was believed to have been interesting German club Hamburger SV
.
squad. Gradel scored a late penalty in the first game of the 2011–12 season against Southampton
, however it proved to be only a consolidation goal as Leeds lost 3–1. Gradel was sent off early on for two bookable offences in a defeat against Middlesbrough
, teammate Jonny Howson was also sent off for Leeds in the same match. Gradel came back into the starting lineup after serving his one match suspension against West Ham
on 21 August, Gradel missed a penalty for Leeds in the same game. Gradel's final game for Leeds came in the 2–1 loss against Ipswich Town.
for an undisclosed fee. He has signed a four-year contract with the club.
Max got the kit number 9.
and maybe earn a place in their 2010 FIFA World Cup
squad. He was called up to the Côte d'Ivoire squad for the first time on 11 November 2010 for the fixture against Poland
. On 21 March 2011, Gradel received his second call up to the squad, this time to face Benin
in an African Cup Of Nations
qualifier. In June 2011, Gradel was called up to the squad to face Benin on 5 June 2011. This match ended in a 6–2 win to Côte d'Ivoire, in which Gradel came on in the 54th min to make his debut.
On 4 August, it was revealed Gradel had been called up to the Côte d'Ivoire squad to face Israel
and would miss Leeds' cup tie against Bradford City
as a result. Gradel made his first start for Côte d'Ivoire in the 4–3 win against Israel on 10 August 2011.
Leeds United
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
footballer who plays for Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
in the French Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
after joining from Leeds United.
Max received his first call up to the Côte d'Ivoire national team
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
in November 2010. He made his debut for the national side on 5 June 2011. On 30 April 2011, Gradel won both the Fans Player Of The Year Award and The Players Player Of the Year Awards at Leeds.
Club career
Lewisham College Football Academy was Max Gradel's first stop after coming from Paris,France in 2004,under the tutelage of (then) Head CoachAaron Jacob, who was one of his early mentors. He attended the Bon Giourno Cup in Holland and the team went on to win the trophy conceding no goals, with Max scoring 12 of 17. He was due to attend the Dallas Cup
Dallas Cup
The Dallas Cup is an international football tournament for invited youth teams, held annually in Dallas, Texas. It was first held in 1980. The current champion is Cruzeiro...
with the team but was offered a Pro contract and made the decision not to go. "Everything started at Lewisham College," says Max. "We were all good players in the Football Academy; I think I made it a bit by chance."
Max began playing football when he was two years old in the Ivory Coast, before coming to London via Paris. After leaving Lewisham College, Max was offered trials with Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham and Leicester and spent four months with Arsenal before signing with Leicester. From there he moved to Leeds United where he played regularly for the Championship side.
A player at Leicester City F.C. Gradel The winger was given a squad number
Squad number
In team sports, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, uniform number or simply a number is the number worn on a player's uniform, to identify and distinguish each player from others wearing the same or similar uniforms...
for the 2007–08 season. On 5 May 2007, he signed his first professional contract with Leicester along with seven other players, including Eric Odhiambo
Eric Odhiambo
Eric Geno Sije Odhiambo is an English footballer of Tanzanian descent who played most recently as a striker for Bank Asya 1. Lig side Denizlispor...
, Andy King and Carl Pentney
Carl Pentney
Carl Benjamin Pentney is an English footballer who plays for Hayes & Yeading United as a goalkeeper, on loan from Colchester United .-Leicester City:...
.
Loan at Bournemouth
On 6 August, manager Martin AllenMartin Allen
Martin James Allen is a former football player and current manager of Notts County. He played more than 100 games for each Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United before finishing his playing career with Portsmouth and Southend United. Five years later, he took his first job in management, at...
made Gradel and Conrad Logan
Conrad Logan
Conrad Joseph Logan is an Irish football goalkeeper currently playing for Rotherham United on loan from Leicester City. He was educated at St. Eunan's College in Letterkenny, Co...
available for loan for the forthcoming season. On 9 August 2007 Gradel joined Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
on an initial one-month loan, which was extended for the season on transfer deadline day (31 August). However, he was unable to play as many games with the Cherries as he had hoped due to the death of his mother in early October. As a result, he was told by Bournemouth manager Kevin Bond
Kevin Bond (footballer)
Kevin John Bond is an English football manager and former player. He is the son of John Bond, also a former footballer. He is currently employed as assistant manager at Tottenham Hotspur.-Playing career:...
that he could take all the time he needed to return to England.
He returned to Leicester early on 3 January 2008, although Bond stated he wanted to take him back to Bournemouth on loan again, a move which was completed for the rest of the season on 11 January. Gradel's form at Bournemouth earned him a new three-year deal at Leicester, which he signed on 6 February.
Return to Leicester and promotion
He made his league debut for Leicester against Milton Keynes DonsMilton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
(MK Dons) on 9 August 2008, setting up a goal as Leicester won 2–0 at the Walkers Stadium
Walkers Stadium
The King Power Stadium is a football stadium which hosts home matches of English football club Leicester City. The all-seater stadium, inaugurated in July 2002, holds 32,500 and has the 19th largest stadium capacity in England. The stadium is named after King Power, a company owned by club owner...
. On 14 August, Gradel signed a new contract that would last until June 2012. He scored his first senior goal in a 2–1 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
defeat to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
on 14 January 2009, and his first league goal in a 2–2 draw against MK Dons on 28 February, scoring an equalising free-kick at injury time. His free kick away at MK Dons won the Goal of the Season award at the Leicester City Supporters Club Awards on 23 April. Gradel made 32 appearances in all competitions as Leicester secured their promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
as league champions. In the following season however, Gradel made just one substitute appearance in the League Cup.
2009–10 season
On 19 October 2009, Gradel joined Leeds UnitedLeeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
on loan for a month. He made his debut as a substitute in a 2–1 win over Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
that same evening. Gradel scored his first goal for Leeds on 31 October against Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
within minutes after coming on as a substitute, which prompted chants from the crowd of "Grayson sign him up".
Leeds manager Simon Grayson
Simon Grayson
Simon Nicholas Grayson is a retired English footballer and current manager of Leeds United. He is the elder brother of cricketer Paul Grayson....
said he wanted to extend Gradel's loan move beyond the initial month. Gradel himself stated he would like to extend the loan deal at Leeds and even hinted he would be happy to move to Leeds on a permanent deal. Leicester refused Leeds permission to play Gradel in their FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
game against Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
. Gradel started his first game for Leeds in the 3–1 win against Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
, contributing to Leeds' first goal as his cross was diverted by Oliver Lancashire
Oliver Lancashire
Oliver James "Olly" Lancashire is an English footballer who plays as a centre back for Football League One side Walsall.He has previously played for Southampton and Grimsby Town.-Early life:...
into his own net. The game would have been the last of Gradel's initial one month loan. The loan was extended to 2 January 2010 on 13 November.
Gradel scored the winning goal for Leeds in the 89th minute against Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
after coming off the bench for Leeds. He made his first start in the league for Leeds against Oldham. He provided two assists in the same game for Neil Kilkenny
Neil Kilkenny
Neil Martin Kilkenny is an English-born Australian football player who plays for Bristol City as a midfielder. He is a member of the Australia national team.-Early life and career:...
's and Luciano Becchio
Luciano Becchio
Luciano Héctor Becchio is an Argentine footballer who plays for Leeds United as a striker. Born in Córdoba, Argentina, Becchio began his career at Boca Juniors before moving to Europe on an Italian passport, where he established himself in the Spanish lower leagues.He moved to England in the...
's goals. Gradel scored three minutes after coming on for Leeds as a substitute in the West Yorkshire derby against Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
. He made his second league start for Leeds in the game against Brentford, due to the suspension of Robert Snodgrass
Robert Snodgrass
Robert Snodgrass is a Scottish footballer who plays for Leeds United as a winger comfortable playing on either side of the pitch. He can also play as a forward...
.
Gradel replaced Jermaine Beckford
Jermaine Beckford
Jermaine Paul Alexander Beckford is an English footballer who plays for Leicester City as a striker. He started his career as a trainee at Chelsea...
as a substitute against Southampton, and he made an immediate impact in the same game, minutes after coming on Snodgrass curled a shot into the top right corner to seal Leeds' win. Gradel handed in a transfer request on his return to Leicester, and he was signed by Leeds United on a two-and-a-half-year contact on 25 January for an undisclosed fee
Fee
A fee is the price one pays as remuneration for services. Fees usually allow for overhead, wages, costs, and markup.Traditionally, professionals in Great Britain received a fee in contradistinction to a payment, salary, or wage, and would often use guineas rather than pounds as units of account...
. His first appearance as an under contract Leeds player came as a second half substitute in the 3–0 defeat to Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
.
After being unavailable for Leeds' FA Cup loss against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, Gradel came back into the Leeds squad and the starting lineup against Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
in Leeds' 2–2 draw. He retained his place in the starting 11 for the next game against Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
in the Trophy second leg game, which Leeds won 3–2 but were knocked out 6–5 on a penalty shootout, with Gradel converting his penalty for Leeds. After Jermaine Beckford
Jermaine Beckford
Jermaine Paul Alexander Beckford is an English footballer who plays for Leicester City as a striker. He started his career as a trainee at Chelsea...
returned from injury Gradel dropped back to Leeds' bench.
Gradel received the man of the match award against Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
in Leeds' 2–1 win. In the following game Gradel kept his place up front and scored for Leeds against Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
in a 2–0 win. Then, he followed it up in the next match scoring in a 3–1 away win against Carlisle United, with Gradel opening up the scoring and Luciano Becchio
Luciano Becchio
Luciano Héctor Becchio is an Argentine footballer who plays for Leeds United as a striker. Born in Córdoba, Argentina, Becchio began his career at Boca Juniors before moving to Europe on an Italian passport, where he established himself in the Spanish lower leagues.He moved to England in the...
scoring a brace. Gradel's sixth goal for Leeds came in Leeds' 4–1 win against MK Dons. Gradel was sent off for violent conduct in Leeds United's final match of the 2009–10 season against Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
when after a moment of madness he got himself sent off then refused to leave the pitch in the first half of the match, but Leeds won the game 2–1 and were promoted to The Championship.
2010–11 season
Gradel played his first game back at Elland Road since his red card against Bristol Rovers, with him putting in an impressive performance when Leeds completed their pre-season campaign on 31 July with a 3–1 win over Premier League side Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
. Gradel scored a goal in the game by scoring a long range effort. Due to Gradel's red card the previous season and his refusal to leave the pitch he missed the first four games of the season through suspension.
Gradel returned from his four match suspension in the second round of the League Cup when he made his first start of the season against his former club Leicester. He managed to gain an assist in the game, providing a cross for Davide Somma
Davide Somma
Davide Somma is a South African football player who currently plays for Leeds United and the South African national team. He plays as a striker. In November 2010 Somma made his debut for the national side against USA....
's goal. His first league appearance came in the following game, when he came on as a second half substitute in the 1–0 win away to Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
. Gradel made his first league start of the season, when Lloyd Sam
Lloyd Sam
Lloyd Ekow Sam is a professional English footballer of Ghanaian heritage, who plays in midfield as a Winger who is comfortable playing on either side of the pitch. He is currently playing for Leeds United after leaving Charlton Athletic. As a child he spent some of his childhood living in Senegal...
was dropped for the game against Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
on 11 September. Gradel scored his first goal of the Championship season against Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
. Gradel scored his second goal of the season against Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
after scoring a penalty. Gradel's third goal of the season came against Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
. Gradel scored his fourth goal of the season against Burnley which started Leeds's comeback to win 3–2 after being 2–0 down. On 18 December, Gradel scored his fifth and sixth goals of the season when he scored both goals in Leeds' 2–0 win over league leaders Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
. Gradel scored his 7th goal of the season against his former club Leicester City with a header
Gradel's form for Leeds has seen him attract interest from Premiership clubs Gradel scored his 8th goal of the season against Portsmouth. Newcastle United showed an interest in Gradel and manager Simon Grayson confirmed that he wasn't looking to sell the in-form Gradel. After an impressive December, Gradel was named as one of the nominee's for The Championship player of the month. 8 January, Gradel won a penalty against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
which was dispatched by Robert Snodgrass
Robert Snodgrass
Robert Snodgrass is a Scottish footballer who plays for Leeds United as a winger comfortable playing on either side of the pitch. He can also play as a forward...
as Leeds earned an impressive 1–1 draw. 15 January, Gradel scored his 9th goal of the season against Scunthorpe United Gradel scored his 10th goal of the season against Bristol City. On 22 February, he scored his 11th and 12th goals of the season in the home fixture against Barnsley. Gradel's 13th and 14th goals of the season came in the same game in the 5–2 win against Doncaster Rovers. Gradel's impressive form for Leeds during the 2010–11 season earned special praise by manager Simon Grayson
Simon Grayson
Simon Nicholas Grayson is a retired English footballer and current manager of Leeds United. He is the elder brother of cricketer Paul Grayson....
. On 2 April, Gradel scored his 15th and 16th goals of the season against Nottingham Forest. Gradel scored his 17th goal of the season against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in Leeds' 2–1 loss. On 30 April, Gradel won Leeds' 2010–11 Player Of The Year Award and also the Players Player Of The Year Award at Leeds annual Player award ceremony. After winning the award Gradel announced that he wanted to stay at Leeds to help them reach The Premiership. Gradel also revealed he would like to extend his contract at Leeds. Gradel scored his 18th goal of the season in the final match in Leeds' 2–1 win against Queens Park Rangers. In the summer of 2011 Gradel was believed to have been interesting German club Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
.
2011–12 season
With several clubs interested in Gradel and much speculation on his future, he confirmed on 24 July that he was looking to stay with Leeds. On 2 August, Gradel confirmed he wanted to stay at Leeds, but the club had yet to offer him a new contract. It was revealed on 4 August, Gradel would miss the League Cup match against Bradford City as he had been called up to the Ivory CoastCôte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
squad. Gradel scored a late penalty in the first game of the 2011–12 season against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, however it proved to be only a consolidation goal as Leeds lost 3–1. Gradel was sent off early on for two bookable offences in a defeat against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, teammate Jonny Howson was also sent off for Leeds in the same match. Gradel came back into the starting lineup after serving his one match suspension against West Ham
West Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
on 21 August, Gradel missed a penalty for Leeds in the same game. Gradel's final game for Leeds came in the 2–1 loss against Ipswich Town.
Saint-Étienne
On 30 August 2011 Gradel joined French Club Saint-ÉtienneAS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
for an undisclosed fee. He has signed a four-year contract with the club.
Max got the kit number 9.
International career
Gradel revealed that by moving to Leeds he was hoping to increase his international prospects to play for the Côte d'Ivoire national teamCôte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
and maybe earn a place in their 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
squad. He was called up to the Côte d'Ivoire squad for the first time on 11 November 2010 for the fixture against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
. On 21 March 2011, Gradel received his second call up to the squad, this time to face Benin
Benin national football team
The Benin national football team, nicknamed Les Écureuils , is the national football team of Benin and is controlled by the Fédération Béninoise de Football. They were known as the Dahomey national football team until 1975, when Dahomey became Benin. They have never made the World Cup but have...
in an African Cup Of Nations
African Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Cup of Nations or African Nations Cup, officially CAN , is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been...
qualifier. In June 2011, Gradel was called up to the squad to face Benin on 5 June 2011. This match ended in a 6–2 win to Côte d'Ivoire, in which Gradel came on in the 54th min to make his debut.
On 4 August, it was revealed Gradel had been called up to the Côte d'Ivoire squad to face Israel
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
and would miss Leeds' cup tie against Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
as a result. Gradel made his first start for Côte d'Ivoire in the 4–3 win against Israel on 10 August 2011.
Career statistics
| Season | Club | Loan | Division | League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... |
FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... |
FL Trophy Football League Trophy The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top... |
Play-offs Football League Play-Offs The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is... |
Total | Discipline | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... |
Championship Football League Championship The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League... > 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | ! 0 !! 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Championship Football League Championship The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League... > 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | ! 0 !! 0 | 0 | |||||||
| League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... > 27 |
1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | ! 32 !! 2 | 0 | |||||||
| Championship Football League Championship The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League... > 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 0 | ! 1 !! 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 27 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 2 | 7 | 0 | ||||
| Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899.... |
Loan | League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... | 15 |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | ! 19 !! 5 | 0 | |||||
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | ! 19 !! 5 | 0 | ||||||||
| Leeds United Leeds United A.F.C. Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system... |
Loan | League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... > 14 |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | ! 16 !! 3 | 0 | |||||
| League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... > 18 |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | ! 19 !! 3 | 1 | |||||||
| Championship Football League Championship The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League... > 41 |
18 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | ! 44 !! 18 | 0 | |||||||
| 73 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 23 | 6 | 1 | ||||
| 134 | 36 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 145 | 38 | 20 | 1 | ||||
Honours
Leicester City- League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
champions: 2008–09
Leeds United
- League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
runners-up: 2009–102009–10 Football League OneThe Football League 2009–10 , was be the seventeenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2009 and ended on 8 May 2010....
Individual
- Leeds United Player of the Year Awards – 2010–112010–11 in English footballThe 2010–11 season was the 131st season of competitive football in England.The season began on 6 August 2010 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier League and Football Conference both starting eight days later on 14 August 2010. The Championship, League One, and League Two ended on 7 May...
: Fans Player of The Year Award
- Leeds United Player of the Year Awards – 2010–112010–11 in English footballThe 2010–11 season was the 131st season of competitive football in England.The season began on 6 August 2010 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier League and Football Conference both starting eight days later on 14 August 2010. The Championship, League One, and League Two ended on 7 May...
: Players Player of the Year Award
- Yorkshire Evening Post's Leeds United Player of the YearYorkshire Evening PostThe Yorkshire Evening Post is a daily evening publication published by Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
2010–11
External links
- Max Gradel profile at the Leeds United website
- Max Gradel profile at The Scratching Shed