Cédric Roussel
Encyclopedia
Cédric Roussel is a Belgian football
striker
currently at RUS Beloeil in France.
Roussel signed for Premiership
club Coventry City
in January 2000 for a fee of £1.2 million, having impressed during an initial loan deal from Gent. He finished his first season in the Premiership with six goals (scoring two goals in the 3-2 defeat to Manchester United
in February 2000) and proved a successful strike partner to Robbie Keane
. However, the following season he began to struggle on the goalscoring front. After refusing to sign for Wimbledon
, he slammed the Coventry board for trying to use him as a makeweight in a deal to bring John Hartson
to the club.
He was eventually sold a few weeks later to the First Division
club Wolves
, in a £2 million deal. Generally disappointing at Molineux
, he left after 18 months, having scored two goals in twenty five appearances. He was loaned out for the 2002-03 season to his hometown club Mons
, who had recently been promoted to the Belgian First Division. He finished the season as joint top scorer with Wesley Sonck
, each had 22 goals.
His goalscoring form attracted interest from bigger clubs in the league and he signed for Genk
in 2003. His reputation in Belgian football increased and he made his first appearance for the Belgium national team in 2004. After just one season at Genk, in which he scored on thirteen occasions, he moved on again, this time signing for Rubin Kazan in Russia. He never felt at home in Russia and returned to Belgium to play for Standard Liège
. At Standard he struggled to break in to the first team and after two unsuccessful years at the club he signed for Zulte Waregem. His time there was again short-lived and a year later he signed for Italian Serie B
club Brescia
. Roussel soon found himself frozen out at Brescia, and the club became open to offers for him.
In August 2007, he spent a week on trial with Scottish Premier League
club Dundee United
but returned home without signing the agreed loan deal. He instead chose to return to his former club R.A.E.C. Mons
, where he signed a three year contract.
On 25 November 2010, Roussel agreed with Dutch
side HSV Hoek
to play in the Topklasse
.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
currently at RUS Beloeil in France.
Career
In 1997, Roussel took part in the FIFA World Youth Championship. In the season that followed the tournament, he was promoted to the Gent senior team.Roussel signed for Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
club 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...
in January 2000 for a fee of £1.2 million, having impressed during an initial loan deal from Gent. He finished his first season in the Premiership with six goals (scoring two goals in the 3-2 defeat to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in February 2000) and proved a successful strike partner to Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane
Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team....
. However, the following season he began to struggle on the goalscoring front. After refusing to sign for Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, he slammed the Coventry board for trying to use him as a makeweight in a deal to bring John Hartson
John Hartson
John Hartson is a former Welsh international footballer who played as a striker, best known for his spells with West Ham and Celtic. Hartson also featured prominently for Wales, earning 51 caps until his international retirement in 2006...
to the club.
He was eventually sold a few weeks later to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
club Wolves
Wolverhampton 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...
, in a £2 million deal. Generally disappointing at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, he left after 18 months, having scored two goals in twenty five appearances. He was loaned out for the 2002-03 season to his hometown club Mons
R.A.E.C. Mons
R.A.E.C. Mons is a Belgian football club based in Mons, Belgium. The team was promoted to the Belgian Jupiler League recently on 29 May 2011 after beating Waasland-Beveren in a "Winner-Take-All" Test match of the Final Tour of the Belgian second division and has Re-Joined the Top Belgian League...
, who had recently been promoted to the Belgian First Division. He finished the season as joint top scorer with Wesley Sonck
Wesley Sonck
Wesley Sonck is a Belgian football player, who currently plays as a striker for K. Lierse S.K. who signed him in August 2010 and the Belgium national football team. He played for KRC Genk in the Belgian First Division from where he joined AFC Ajax in 2003 for about £5 million...
, each had 22 goals.
His goalscoring form attracted interest from bigger clubs in the league and he signed for Genk
K.R.C. Genk
Koninklijke Racing Club Genk , usually referred to as Racing Genk or simply Genk, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Genk in Belgian Limburg. Racing Genk plays in the Belgian Pro League and they have won 3 Belgian champion titles in 1998–99, in 2001–02 and in 2010–11 as...
in 2003. His reputation in Belgian football increased and he made his first appearance for the Belgium national team in 2004. After just one season at Genk, in which he scored on thirteen occasions, he moved on again, this time signing for Rubin Kazan in Russia. He never felt at home in Russia and returned to Belgium to play for Standard Liège
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
. At Standard he struggled to break in to the first team and after two unsuccessful years at the club he signed for Zulte Waregem. His time there was again short-lived and a year later he signed for Italian Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
club Brescia
Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence...
. Roussel soon found himself frozen out at Brescia, and the club became open to offers for him.
In August 2007, he spent a week on trial with Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
but returned home without signing the agreed loan deal. He instead chose to return to his former club R.A.E.C. Mons
R.A.E.C. Mons
R.A.E.C. Mons is a Belgian football club based in Mons, Belgium. The team was promoted to the Belgian Jupiler League recently on 29 May 2011 after beating Waasland-Beveren in a "Winner-Take-All" Test match of the Final Tour of the Belgian second division and has Re-Joined the Top Belgian League...
, where he signed a three year contract.
On 25 November 2010, Roussel agreed with Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
side HSV Hoek
HSV Hoek
Hoekse Sportvereniging Hoek, known as HSV Hoek is a football club from Hoek, the Netherlands.-History:The club was founded in 1950, is currently playing in the Topklasse, the third tier of football in the Netherlands...
to play in the Topklasse
Topklasse
Topklasse is the third tier of football in the Netherlands, which had its inaugural season in 2010–11. The league is placed between the Eerste Divisie and the Hoofdklasse, the second and fourth tiers of Dutch football, respectively...
.