Players - Gregory Vignal

Gregory Vignal
Birthdate: 19 July 1981
Birthplace: Montpellier, France
Other clubs: Montpellier (1997-2000), Bastia (loan 2003), Rennes (loan 2003), Espanyol (loan 2004), Rangers (loan 2004-05), Portsmouth (2005-06), Lens (2006-09), Kaiserslautern (loan 2007), Southampton (loan 2007-08), Birmingham City (2009-10), Atromitos (2010-11), Dundee United (2012), AS Béziers (2013-14)
Signed from: Montpellier
Signed for LFC: £500,000, 22.09.2000
International caps: U-21, 8/0
Liverpool debut: 06.01.2001
Last appearance: 01.01.2003
Contract expiry: 01.07.2005
Win ratio: 65% W:13 D:4 L:3
Honours: FA Cup 2001, League Cup 2001, European Super Cup 2001
Total games/goals opposite LFC: 3 / 0
League games / goals / assists: 11 / 0 / 0
Total games / goals / assists: 20 / 0 / 0

Player Profile

After joining in September 2000 Vignal finally got an extended run in the side in the beginning of the 2001/02 season. Markus Babbel had contracted Guillan-Barre syndrome and Jamie Carragher was moved to the right flank allowing Vignal to slot in on the left. The Frenchman linked up well with John Arne Riise in front of him and showed some attacking prowess. Unfortunately, Vignal fractured his foot when Liverpool got dumped out of the League Cup by Grimsby on 9 October 2001 and was out for the rest of the campaign. He made four appearances for the side in the 2002/03 season, but Vignal was clearly far away from being match fit. He was loaned to Bastia in his native France and was again loaned out in the 2003/04 season, first to Rennes in France, next to Espanyol in Spain and then to Rangers in Scotland. He eventually joined Portsmouth after he was released from his Liverpool contract a year early in the summer of 2005.

Vignal actually made more League appearances for Portsmouth, 14, in the 2005/06 season than he had made in the whole of his Liverpool career, 11. However, he left Portsmouth on a free transfer in the summer of 2006 and again returned to France, this time to represent Lens. But Lens then loaned him out to German club Kaiserslautern for the second half of the 2006/07 season. In July 2007 the 26-year-old was again to be found in English football, this time on loan at Southampton that attempted unsuccessfully to return to the Premier League. Vignal appeared in 20 of their matches in the Championship in 2007/08, scoring three goals, all penalties. In 2009 Vignal joined Birmingham City, but Injury restricted him to just eight Premier League appearances in the 2009/10 season, at the end of which the Midlands club decided not to take up the option of an additional year on his contract. Still just the right side of thirty, the defender looked for another British employer and in July 2010 had trials with two Championship clubs, Cardiff City and Sheffield United. Ultimately neither of those trials led to an offer of employment. In September 2010 Vignal moved to Atromitos in Greece on a one-year contract but only played in four Greek Super League fixtures. After a season without a club, Vignal joined Dundee United in September 2012.

Vignal left Dundee United in November 2012 without playing in a first-team match for them. He made the match-day squad for three Scottish Premier League matches but was not called on in any of those fixtures. His Dundee contract officially lasted until January 2013 but the defender was still without another club as the 2012/13 season ended and his thirty-second birthday approached. Vignal returned to the country of his birth after his unsuccessful time in Scotland and during the summer of 2013 signed a contract with Avenir Sportif Béziers, a club that plays in the fourth tier of French football. After retiring from playing at the end of that season he took over the presidency of amateur club CEP Palavas and in January 2018 was appointed an academy coach at Rangers. 

Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 11 1 3 5 0 20
2000-2001 6 1 0 0 0 7
2001-2002 4 0 1 4 0 9
2002-2003 1 0 2 1 0 4
2003-2004 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
2 210 Ipswich Town
2 116 Tottenham
2 101 Newcastle United
2 97 Everton
1 90 Southampton
1 90 West Ham United
1 90 Charlton Athletic
1 90 Sunderland
1 90 Haka
1 90 Borussia Dortmund
1 90 Dynamo Kiev
1 90 Boavista
1 30 Aston Villa
1 21 Grimsby Town
1 20 Spartak Moscow
1 13 Rotherham United
Total Started/substitutions
14 Started
17 On the bench
6 Substitute
2 Substituted
Total Venue
11 Home
9 Away
Total Competition
11 Premier League
5 Champions League
3 League Cup
1 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
20 13 4 3 65% Gérard Houllier
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 06.01.2001 Rotherham United Anfield FA Cup
Related Quotes

"When I spoke with Gerard Houllier at the start of this season, he said I could play in as many as 25 games or more this year," says Vignal. "I knew I would have to work very hard to achieve these games, but the manager said he was confident in me.

Because Markus was unfortunate to be very ill, perhaps the games are coming sooner than I thought. At the moment it can be very hard because we're playing a match every three days. But there's no doubt I want to be playing. It's much harder being on the bench or out of the squad than on the pitch. I know I have to play if I want to learn."

Vignal in 2001-2002

Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Montpellier 1999-2000 France 1 0 0 0 0
Bastia 2003 France 1 15 0 15 0
Rennes 2003-2004 France 1 5 0 5 0
Espanyol 2003-2004 Spain 1 9 1 9 1
Rangers 2004-2005 Scotland Premier League 30 3 46 3
Portsmouth 2005-2006 England Premier League 14 0 17 0
Lens 2006-2007 France 1 9 0 12 0
Kaiserslautern 2006-2007 Germany 2 9 1 9 1
Southampton 2007-2008 England Championship 20 3 23 4
Lens 2008-2009 France 2 13 0 15 0
Birmingham City 2009-2010 England Premier League 8 0 9 0
Atromitos 2010-2011 Greece 1 4 0 4 0
Dundee United 2012-2013 Scotland 1 0 0 0 0
AS Béziers 2013-2014 France 4 13 1 13 1
Total 149 9 177 10