Sylvain Distin
Encyclopedia
Sylvain Distin is a French
footballer who plays for English
Premier League side Everton
.
, Distin started his career at French non-league side Joue-les-Tours before moving to Tours
a year later, where he played 26 times and scored three goals. He then transferred to Gueugnon
of Ligue 2
, signing his first professional contract. With Gueugnon he won the Coupe de la Ligue
in 2000. His performances for Gueugnon prompted Paris Saint-Germain to sign him, though his time at PSG was short-lived and after a year, Distin went on loan to Newcastle United
where he made 35 appearances.
, rather than left-back at Newcastle. The transfer fee was £4 million, setting a club record for a defender. Consistent performances in his first Manchester City season resulted in Distin being named the club's Player of the Year for the 2002–03 season. At the start of the 2003–04 season, Distin was named captain of Manchester City following the retirement of Ali Benarbia
. In total, Distin played 207 times for Manchester City and scored six goals.
on a three year deal. Distin was appointed vice captain by Harry Redknapp
and led Portsmouth in Sol Campbell
's absences due to injury. At the end of Distin's first season at Fratton Park
, he won his first major honour in English football, the 2008 FA Cup
.
After Sol Campbell
's departure from Portsmouth, Distin was named the new club captain.
signed Distin from Portsmouth for a fee of about £5 million on a three-year contract. Distin wears the number 15 shirt at Everton and made his debut in a 2–1 victory over Wigan Athletic. On 17 September 2009 he scored his first goal for Everton in the UEFA Europa League against Greek team AEK Athens. He scored his second goal for Everton in the UEFA Europa League on 16 February 2010 against Sporting CP to give Everton a 2–1 win. Distin was later sent off resulting in Sporting's goal from the penalty spot after a poor touch following an equally poor Jack Rodwell
pass. Distin scored his first league goal for the club against Liverpool
on 16 January 2011, heading in from a corner at the start of the second half.
|-
!rowspan=2|Season
!rowspan=2|Club
!rowspan=2|Division
!colspan=2|League
!colspan=2|Cup
!colspan=2|League Cup
!colspan=2|Continental
!colspan=2|Total
|-
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
|-
|1997–98||Joué-lès-Tours||CFA||32||4||?||?||?||?||?||?||32||4
|-
|1998–99||Tours
||CFA||26||3||?||?||?||?||?||?||26||3
|-
|1999–00||Gueugnon
||Division 2
||32||1||?||?||?||?||?||?||32||1
|-
|2000–01||Paris Saint-Germain||Ligue 1
||28||0||?||?||?||?||10||0||38||0
|-
!colspan="3"|France Total
!118!!8!!?!!?!!?!!?!!10!!0!!128!!8
|-
|2001–02
||Newcastle United
(Loan)||Premier League||28||0||5||0||2||0||0||0||35||0
|-
!colspan="3"|Newcastle United Total
!28!!0!!5!!0!!2!!0!!0!!0!!35!!0
|-
|2002–03||rowspan="5"|Manchester City
||rowspan="5"|Premier League||34||0||1||0||1||0||0||0||36||0
|-
|2003–04||38||2||5||1||2||0||5||0||50||3
|-
|2004–05||38||1||1||0||2||0||0||0||41||1
|-
|2005–06
||31||0||4||0||1||0||0||0||36||0
|-
|2006–07
||37||2||5||0||1||0||0||0||43||2
|-
!colspan="3"|Manchester City Total
!178!!5!!16!!1!!7!!0!!5!!0!!206!!6
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="3"|Portsmouth
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||36||0||6||0||3||0||0||0||45||0
|-
|2008–09||38||0||3||0||1||0||5||0||47||0
|-
|2009–10
||3||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||3||0
|-
!colspan="3"|Portsmouth Total
!77!!0!!9!!0!!4!!0!!5!!0!!95!!0
|-
|2009–10
||rowspan="3"|Everton
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||32||0||1||0||2||0||5||2||40||2
|-
|2010–11||38||2||4||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||44||2
|-
|2011–12||9||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||10||0
|-
!colspan="3"|Everton Total
!79!!2!!5!!0!!5!!0!!5!!2!!94!!4
|-
!colspan="3"|England Total
!362!!7!!32!!1!!18!!0!!16!!2!!430!!10
|-
480||14||32||1||18||0||26||2||558||18
Stats accurate as of 17:00, 19 November 2011 (UTC).
:
Coupe de la Ligue
With Portsmouth
:
FA Cup
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
footballer who plays for English
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
Premier League side Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
.
Early career
Born in BagnoletBagnolet
Bagnolet is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Its inhabitants are called Bagnoletais.-History:...
, Distin started his career at French non-league side Joue-les-Tours before moving to Tours
Tours FC
Tours Football Club is a French association football club based in Tours, the capital city of the Indre-et-Loire department. The club was formed in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football. Tours plays its home matches at the Stade de la Vallée du Cher located within...
a year later, where he played 26 times and scored three goals. He then transferred to Gueugnon
FC Gueugnon
Football Club Gueugnonnais was a French association football club based in Gueugnon. The club was formed in 1940 and played in the Championnat National, the third level of French football, before entering liquidation in April 2011. Gueugnon played its home matches at the Stade Jean Laville...
of Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
, signing his first professional contract. With Gueugnon he won the Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
in 2000. His performances for Gueugnon prompted Paris Saint-Germain to sign him, though his time at PSG was short-lived and after a year, Distin went on loan to Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
where he made 35 appearances.
Manchester City
Following the loan spell, Newcastle wanted to sign Distin permanently but he instead opted to sign for Manchester City where he could play in his preferred position of central defenceDefender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, rather than left-back at Newcastle. The transfer fee was £4 million, setting a club record for a defender. Consistent performances in his first Manchester City season resulted in Distin being named the club's Player of the Year for the 2002–03 season. At the start of the 2003–04 season, Distin was named captain of Manchester City following the retirement of Ali Benarbia
Ali Benarbia
Ali Benarbia is a retired Algerian footballer.-Career:Benarbia moved to France at a young age and began his career at FC Martigues in 1985. He was part of the side that was promoted to Ligue 1 in 1993, operating as a midfielder....
. In total, Distin played 207 times for Manchester City and scored six goals.
Portsmouth
Distin left City at the end of his contract in May 2007, seeking a "fresh challenge", and moved to PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
on a three year deal. Distin was appointed vice captain by Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
and led Portsmouth in Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
's absences due to injury. At the end of Distin's first season at Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
, he won his first major honour in English football, the 2008 FA Cup
2008 FA Cup Final
The 2008 FA Cup Final was a football match held at Wembley Stadium on 17 May 2008 and was the final match of the 2007–08 FA Cup competition. The match was the 127th FA Cup Final, and the second to be held at the new Wembley Stadium since its redevelopment. The match was contested by Portsmouth and...
.
After Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
's departure from Portsmouth, Distin was named the new club captain.
Everton
In August 2009, EvertonEverton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
signed Distin from Portsmouth for a fee of about £5 million on a three-year contract. Distin wears the number 15 shirt at Everton and made his debut in a 2–1 victory over Wigan Athletic. On 17 September 2009 he scored his first goal for Everton in the UEFA Europa League against Greek team AEK Athens. He scored his second goal for Everton in the UEFA Europa League on 16 February 2010 against Sporting CP to give Everton a 2–1 win. Distin was later sent off resulting in Sporting's goal from the penalty spot after a poor touch following an equally poor Jack Rodwell
Jack Rodwell
Jack Christian Rodwell is an English footballer who plays for Everton as a midfielder. Rodwell has represented his country at all levels from Under-16 to the senior team.- Club career :...
pass. Distin scored his first league goal for the club against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on 16 January 2011, heading in from a corner at the start of the second half.
Club
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align: center"|-
!rowspan=2|Season
!rowspan=2|Club
!rowspan=2|Division
!colspan=2|League
!colspan=2|Cup
!colspan=2|League Cup
!colspan=2|Continental
!colspan=2|Total
|-
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
|-
|1997–98||Joué-lès-Tours||CFA||32||4||?||?||?||?||?||?||32||4
|-
|1998–99||Tours
Tours FC
Tours Football Club is a French association football club based in Tours, the capital city of the Indre-et-Loire department. The club was formed in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football. Tours plays its home matches at the Stade de la Vallée du Cher located within...
||CFA||26||3||?||?||?||?||?||?||26||3
|-
|1999–00||Gueugnon
FC Gueugnon
Football Club Gueugnonnais was a French association football club based in Gueugnon. The club was formed in 1940 and played in the Championnat National, the third level of French football, before entering liquidation in April 2011. Gueugnon played its home matches at the Stade Jean Laville...
||Division 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
||32||1||?||?||?||?||?||?||32||1
|-
|2000–01||Paris Saint-Germain||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....
||28||0||?||?||?||?||10||0||38||0
|-
!colspan="3"|France Total
!118!!8!!?!!?!!?!!?!!10!!0!!128!!8
|-
|2001–02
2001–02 Newcastle United F.C. season
-Season summary:Sir Bobby Robson felt that his side could aim for eighth place in the final table as the season began, but they were soon looking like unlikely contenders for the Premiership title. This brought renewed hope for the club after four seasons of struggle, though in the end Newcastle...
||Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
(Loan)||Premier League||28||0||5||0||2||0||0||0||35||0
|-
!colspan="3"|Newcastle United Total
!28!!0!!5!!0!!2!!0!!0!!0!!35!!0
|-
|2002–03||rowspan="5"|Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
||rowspan="5"|Premier League||34||0||1||0||1||0||0||0||36||0
|-
|2003–04||38||2||5||1||2||0||5||0||50||3
|-
|2004–05||38||1||1||0||2||0||0||0||41||1
|-
|2005–06
Manchester City F.C. season 2005–06
The 2005–06 season was Manchester City Football Clubs fourth consecutive season playing in the Premier League, the top division of English football, and its ninth season since the Premier League was first created with Manchester City as one of the its original 22 founding member clubs...
||31||0||4||0||1||0||0||0||36||0
|-
|2006–07
Manchester City F.C. season 2006–07
The 2006–07 season was Manchester City Football Clubs fifth consecutive season playing in the Premier League, the top division of English football, and its tenth season since the Premier League was first created with Manchester City as one of the its original 22 founding member clubs...
||37||2||5||0||1||0||0||0||43||2
|-
!colspan="3"|Manchester City Total
!178!!5!!16!!1!!7!!0!!5!!0!!206!!6
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="3"|Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||36||0||6||0||3||0||0||0||45||0
|-
|2008–09||38||0||3||0||1||0||5||0||47||0
|-
|2009–10
Portsmouth F.C. season 2009–10
The 2009-10 season was Portsmouth's seventh season in the Premier League, and their seventh consecutive season in the top division of English football. It was also the club 111th season.-Team kit:...
||3||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||3||0
|-
!colspan="3"|Portsmouth Total
!77!!0!!9!!0!!4!!0!!5!!0!!95!!0
|-
|2009–10
Everton F.C. season 2009–10
- August :Everton kicked off the season at home at Goodison Park against Arsenal on 15 August 2009. The Toffees were never competitive in the match and were defeated 6–1, the worst opening day loss by Everton and tied for worst opening day loss in Premier League history...
||rowspan="3"|Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||32||0||1||0||2||0||5||2||40||2
|-
|2010–11||38||2||4||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||44||2
|-
|2011–12||9||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||10||0
|-
!colspan="3"|Everton Total
!79!!2!!5!!0!!5!!0!!5!!2!!94!!4
|-
!colspan="3"|England Total
!362!!7!!32!!1!!18!!0!!16!!2!!430!!10
|-
480||14||32||1||18||0||26||2||558||18
Stats accurate as of 17:00, 19 November 2011 (UTC).
- Doesn't include 2008/09 Community Shield Appearance.
Honours
With GueugnonFC Gueugnon
Football Club Gueugnonnais was a French association football club based in Gueugnon. The club was formed in 1940 and played in the Championnat National, the third level of French football, before entering liquidation in April 2011. Gueugnon played its home matches at the Stade Jean Laville...
:
Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
- Winner – 2000
With Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
:
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...
- Winner – 20082008 FA Cup FinalThe 2008 FA Cup Final was a football match held at Wembley Stadium on 17 May 2008 and was the final match of the 2007–08 FA Cup competition. The match was the 127th FA Cup Final, and the second to be held at the new Wembley Stadium since its redevelopment. The match was contested by Portsmouth and...