LFCHistory.net

Momo Sissoko

Birthdate: 22 January 1985 Birthplace: Mont Saint Agnain, France Nationality: Mali Other clubs: Auxerre (2001-03), Valencia (2003-05), Juventus (2008-11), Paris St Germain (2011-), Fiorentina (loan 2013) Bought from: Valencia Signed for LFC: £5.6m, 14.07.2005 International debut: 19.11.2003 vs. Morocco International caps: 28/2 - 2013

Liverpool debut: 26.07.2005 Last appearance: 19.12.2007 Debut goal: 25.08.2007 Last goal: 25.08.2007 Contract expiry: 28.01.2008 Win ratio: 63.22% W: 55 D: 12 L: 20 LFC league games/goals: 51 / 1 Total LFC games/goals: 87 / 1

Player profile

Born to Mali parents in France, Momo Sissoko opted to play for Mali after featuring for the French u-21 team. He has a biting tackle and is a formidable shield for any defence. Sissoko was nurtured in Auxerre’s respected academy playing as a striker for the reserves, scoring 50 goals in two years according to his website. Rafa Benítez brought the youngster over to Valencia in 2003 before he made his first-team debut at Auxerre and developed his game in a new position as a defensive midfielder. Despite his young age Rafa picked him from the start in nine La Liga matches as well as bringing him on as substitute on 12 occasions in his debut campaign. He also featured in nine UEFA Cup matches so he played an active part in Valencia’s double success in La Liga and the UEFA Cup in 2004.

Sissoko continued to impress at Mestalla following Benítez’ departure to Liverpool. Everton were about to capture the promising midfielder when Rafa became aware of his availability and “stole” him straight from under the Blues’ noses. Benítez made big claims that “Momo” would become a better player than Vieira. Sissoko’s hyperactive performances in the middle of the park earned him rave reviews. It was a dramatic first season as an eye injury received against Benfica in the Champions League in February 2006 threatened to end his playing career. When he returned a month later, he had to wear safety goggles, which he soon discarded as they were steaming up. The season ended on a high as Liverpool beat West Ham in the FA Cup final. Momo played from the start as he had done in 36 other matches during the season.

Momo was man of the match in Liverpool’s win over Chelsea in the Community Shield. As his second season progressed he wasn’t his usual self, whether his eye injury had affected his confidence or just plainly finding it more tough as his performances were not as surprising to his opponents.  Momo clearly had to improve on the technical aspects of his game, namely his close control and passing. He suffered another bad injury against Birmingham in the fourth round of the League Cup in November 2006, dislocating his shoulder and was out of action for three months. Javier Mascherano’s arrival in February 2007 meant more competition in midfield. As the 2007/08 season began, Sissoko was on the bench for the opening two games against Aston Villa and Toulouse. He wasn’t even in the squad for the first home League match against Chelsea but played from the start at Sunderland a week later, where he amazed everyone by scoring his first Liverpool goal with a sweet strike from the edge of the penalty area. It was also his last Liverpool goal because it became clear as far as the manager was concerned that Sissoko was no longer essential to the squad. He started the League Cup tie at Chelsea a few days before Christmas, 2007 but it was the last time he would pull on a Liverpool shirt. By the end of January, 2008 he was a Juventus player. At least the club made a decent profit on the reported £5+ million it had paid Valencia in 2005. Claudio Ranieri brought Sissoko over to Italy. They were old acquaintances as Ranieri had been his boss for one season, 2004/05 at Valencia. Sissoko was a regular as Juventus finished League runners-up to Inter Milan in 2009, but the rest of his career in Turin was curtailed by a broken metatarsal and a knee injury. After six months of rehabilitation Sissoko made his debut in September 2011 for the upcoming European giants at Paris St Germain, whom he had joined in the summer. Sissoko had continuing knee trouble in his first campaign in Paris during which he made 27 starts and missed the first two months of the 2012/13 season as he injured his left knee in a pre-season friendly. He was loaned to Fiorentina in the January 2013 transfer-window.

Stats note

Related Articles

How Sissoko became Everton's missing link

Tonight's derby could show why the Mali international made the right choice last summer. By Dominic Fifield at The Guardian December 28, 2005. More

Player to Watch: Mali's Sissoko sets sights on Germany

An article from fifaworldcup.com on 20th August 2004.More

Eye for danger

Momo Sissoko discarded doctor's advice and plays without safety glasses, another proof of his bravery on the field.More

Rock-solid Malian may prove to be Rafa's superman

An article from 14th August 2006 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Echo.More

Sissoko the constant at the centre of rotation

Article by Dominic Fifield on Momo Sissoko published 31st October 2006 in the Guardian. More

Interview with Momo Sissoko by Shakir Ahmed

Exclusive interview by Shakir Ahmed of awaaznews.com.More

You'll never get past Sissoko! - comparison with Alonso

Statistically it is difficult to measure the worth of midfielders as clean sheets and goals are not the fairest measure of a working midfielder who wins the ball and distributes it to team mates.More

Related Quotes

"Sissoko was a player that grew a lot with us and he's a fantastic boy. He was called the new Vieira a few years ago. He has incredible ability for his age. He is 20, I saw Vieira when he was 18-years old and he was no better than Sissoko. Sissoko runs more than Vieira. In a couple of years he will be more dynamic than Vieira and a better player."

Benítez on Sissoko in July 2005

"He will learn. The problem for him at the moment is everything's new. It's a new club, a new style of football and a new language. He just needs to analyse the situation a bit more. I'm very happy with him since he joined because he has contributed a lot. The positives are greater than the negatives. I prefer to have a player with high energy rather than someone who is calm. He is the kind of player we've been missing. We are working with him and we are always talking to him about things he can learn."

Rafa on Sissoko as he picked up his seventh caution of the campaign against Luton in January 2006.

"When the fans sing my name, it makes me want to play well for them all the time. I don't know why they like me so much. Maybe the English fans enjoy seeing players who enjoy winning the ball and working hard.

"When I go onto the pitch, my objective is always to work as hard as I can for the team. It's fantastic to have so many people cheering for me. I don't think of myself at the level of Steven Gerrard. I go into training every day trying to learn from Stevie or Xabi Alonso. They are two great midfielders.

"I'm still only 21 and I'm learning all the time. Maybe one day I'll be thought of in the same way."

Momo Sissoko after his man of the match performance vs. Chelsea in the 2006 Community Shield

Momo was one of the most important players for us last season and I was really surprised that he didn't even get a mention the Young Player awards. I can't think of many better.

He is a young player who every manager in the Premiership would want in his squad, and I would have thought that would have made him a contender. His running is incredible. He is an athlete, almost like a Kenyan middle-distance runner, and even though people don't seem to talk about him, he is very important to this team. He is not the finished article, but he is such a good worker. You tell him he needs to improve something and he is practise, practise, practise every day."

Rafa on Momo in September 2006