David Bellion
Encyclopedia
David Bellion is a French
footballer who currently plays for FC Girondins de Bordeaux
. He is of Senegal
ese origin.
at the age of 14, and earned a move to English side Sunderland
in the summer of 2001. In his youth he was a talented athlete, competing in the 2001 National Indoor Youth Championships he won the 60 metres.
senior debut at Fulham
in August 2001, coming on as a substitute. The Frenchman's first senior goal was against Aston Villa
at the Stadium of Light
which gave Sunderland
a 1–0 win in September 2002. Following the goal, Bellion found himself a first team regular at Sunderland, although was unable to save them from relegation
with the third-lowest Premier League points tally ever. Towards the end of the season, Bellion attracted interest from Manchester United
, and angered many fans by going AWOL
to France at a time when the Black Cats needed him most. Upon returning, Bellion claimed he had been visiting his sick grandmother, and made himself temporarily unavailable for selection, claiming he was "mentally unfit" to be playing in a relegation battle. At the time, speculation was rife that Bellion had been "tapped up" by United, although Manchester United and Bellion's agent
firmly denied this. Despite this, Bellion agreed a move to the "Red Devils" after his contract expired in June 2003, although the transfer was not without controversy. As Bellion was under the age of 23, Sunderland were eligible for compensation, and a fee of £2 million, rising to £3 million depending on appearances, was agreed out of court. The fee was agreed on the basis that Sunderland chairman Bob Murray signed a "confidentiality agreement" and did not launch a complaint against Manchester United over the alleged "tapping up" of Bellion, after former Arsenal
vice-chairman David Dein
claimed Bellion had been offered to Arsenal by his agent illegally, and that United had been paying for Bellion's mobile phone bills whilst still at Sunderland.
in August 2003 and scored on his debut against Celtic
on the club's pre-season American tour. His first competitive goal came at Leeds United
in the League Cup
, and the striker scored two goals in the 2003–04 season – against Everton
and Tottenham Hotspur
, both at Old Trafford.
Despite a smattering of early-season goals against Norwich City and Bolton Wanderers, the 2004–05 campaign proved equally frustrating for Bellion as he found himself increasingly frozen out of the first team picture. A fruitful spell in the Reserves followed, but Bellion's season was curtailed in early May when he suffered a fractured fibula against Charlton Reserves. Bellion spent time on loan at West Ham United
at the beginning of the 2005–06 season, returning to Sunderland
for the first time as an unused substitute for the Hammers in October 2005, where he was booed whilst warming up. He scored on his debut, a League Cup
win over Sheffield Wednesday
on 20 September 2005, and went on to make ten appearances for the club, mostly as substitute.
on 15 July 2007, signing a four-year deal. He marked his first match by scoring the only goal in Bordeaux's 1–0 win over Lens
.
on loan until the end of the season.
Bordeaux
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
footballer who currently plays for FC Girondins de Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
. He is of Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese origin.
Cannes
Bellion started his career at CannesAS Cannes
Association Sportive de Cannes Football is a French association football club based in Cannes. The club was formed 1902 as a sports club and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. Cannes plays its home matches at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin...
at the age of 14, and earned a move to English side Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in the summer of 2001. In his youth he was a talented athlete, competing in the 2001 National Indoor Youth Championships he won the 60 metres.
Sunderland
He made his SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
senior debut at Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in August 2001, coming on as a substitute. The Frenchman's first senior goal was against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
at the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
which gave Sunderland
City of Sunderland
The City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
a 1–0 win in September 2002. Following the goal, Bellion found himself a first team regular at Sunderland, although was unable to save them from relegation
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...
with the third-lowest Premier League points tally ever. Towards the end of the season, Bellion attracted interest from 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...
, and angered many fans by going AWOL
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
to France at a time when the Black Cats needed him most. Upon returning, Bellion claimed he had been visiting his sick grandmother, and made himself temporarily unavailable for selection, claiming he was "mentally unfit" to be playing in a relegation battle. At the time, speculation was rife that Bellion had been "tapped up" by United, although Manchester United and Bellion's agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
firmly denied this. Despite this, Bellion agreed a move to the "Red Devils" after his contract expired in June 2003, although the transfer was not without controversy. As Bellion was under the age of 23, Sunderland were eligible for compensation, and a fee of £2 million, rising to £3 million depending on appearances, was agreed out of court. The fee was agreed on the basis that Sunderland chairman Bob Murray signed a "confidentiality agreement" and did not launch a complaint against Manchester United over the alleged "tapping up" of Bellion, after former 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...
vice-chairman David Dein
David Dein
David Barry Dein is the former vice-chairman of Arsenal Football Club and former vice-chairman of the Football Association. He was also the President of the G-14 group of European football clubs between October 2006 and May 2007 and has sat on various committees within FIFA and UEFA including...
claimed Bellion had been offered to Arsenal by his agent illegally, and that United had been paying for Bellion's mobile phone bills whilst still at Sunderland.
Manchester United
Bellion moved to Old TraffordOld Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
in August 2003 and scored on his debut against Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
on the club's pre-season American tour. His first competitive goal came at 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...
in the 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...
, and the striker scored two goals in the 2003–04 season – against 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...
and 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....
, both at Old Trafford.
Despite a smattering of early-season goals against Norwich City and Bolton Wanderers, the 2004–05 campaign proved equally frustrating for Bellion as he found himself increasingly frozen out of the first team picture. A fruitful spell in the Reserves followed, but Bellion's season was curtailed in early May when he suffered a fractured fibula against Charlton Reserves. Bellion spent time on loan at West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
at the beginning of the 2005–06 season, returning to Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
for the first time as an unused substitute for the Hammers in October 2005, where he was booed whilst warming up. He scored on his debut, a 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...
win over Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
on 20 September 2005, and went on to make ten appearances for the club, mostly as substitute.
Nice
He returned to France on 9 January 2006, joining Nice, a loan until the end of the season that was made a permanent move in June 2006.Bordeaux
Bellion joined BordeauxFC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
on 15 July 2007, signing a four-year deal. He marked his first match by scoring the only goal in Bordeaux's 1–0 win over Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
.
Nice
In December 2010, Bellion returned to NiceOGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
on loan until the end of the season.
Club
Manchester United- FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
(1): 20032003 FA Community ShieldThe 2003 FA Community Shield was the 81st FA Community Shield, a football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions...
Bordeaux
- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 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....
(1): 2008–09 - Trophée des ChampionsTrophée des championsThe Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries...
(2): 20082008 Trophée des ChampionsThe 2008 Trophée des Champions Final was a football match that saw the 2007-08 Ligue 1 and Coupe de France champions Olympique Lyonnais face off against FC Girondins de Bordeaux. Since Lyon won both the league and the Coupe de France, they faced the club that finished in second place in Ligue 1...
, 20092009 Trophée des ChampionsThe 2009 Trophée des Champions Final was a football match that was played on 25 July 2009. The match contested the winners of 2008–09 Coupe de France, En Avant Guingamp, and the 2008–09 Ligue 1 champions, FC Girondins de Bordeaux... - Coupe de la LigueCoupe de la LigueThe 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...
(1): 2009