Players - Titi Camara

Titi Camara
Birthdate: 17 November 1972
Birthplace: Conakry, Guinea
Other clubs: Saint-Etienne (1990-95), Lens (1995-97), Olympique Marseille (1997-99), West Ham United (2000-03), Al Ittihad (loan 2003), Al Siliya (2003-04), Amiens (2004-06)
Signed from: Olympique Marseille
Signed for LFC: £2.6m, 01.06.1999
International caps: Guinea 38/23 (4/4 at LFC) - unconfirmed
Liverpool debut: 07.08.1999
Last appearance: 14.05.2000
Debut goal: 07.08.1999
Last goal: 25.03.2000
Contract expiry: 21.12.2000
Win ratio: 51.35% W:19 D:8 L:10
Games/goals ratio: 3.7
Games/assists ratio: 18.5
Total games/goals opposite LFC: 2 / 0
League games / goals / assists: 33 / 9 / 1
Total games / goals / assists: 37 / 10 / 2

Player Profile

Titi Camara can hardly be called a failure at Anfield. Although Titi was only at Liverpool for 18 months he was a popular player with the supporters and lit up Anfield on occasion with his sublime skills. His scoring debut for Liverpool against Sheffield Wednesday was a sign of extraordinary things to come but the Liverpool Echo noted astutely: "The theory remains that Camara, for all his instant love affair with the supporters, will prove a better substitute in the long run; able to change the course of games in that role rather than from the start." Titi started 24 and made 13 substitute appearances during the 1999/2000 season and scored ten goals all of which but one came when he was in the starting line-up. His best goal was possibly his second, a brilliant curling shot at Elland Road, or maybe the 'screamer' against Coventry at the Kop end on the day the club celebrated the fortieth anniversary of Bill Shankly's arrival at Anfield. Titi's most emotional moment in a Liverpool shirt came one evening late in October 1999 when he slumped to his knees at Anny Road after scoring what turned out to be the winning goal against West Ham, having been told only hours earlier that his father had died. To play at all under such circumstances, never mind score the winning goal, was testament to his courage and his determination impressed Houllier: "He lost his dad during the day but he told me, 'I want to play for my father.' He was crying after he scored because it was such an emotional day." Titi's time at Liverpool was though effectively over after only one season when he fell dramatically out of favour with Houllier. Two months later after having not featured at all in the season the Guinean moved to West Ham. For many Liverpool supporters though, despite his short stay at club Titi retains something of a 'cult hero' status reflected in him being voted in 91st position in the 2006 poll "100 Players Who Shook The Kop" which was conducted by the official Liverpool FC website.

Unfortunately Titi's move to Harry Redknapp's Hammers not revive his career despite his best intentions: "I've come to West Ham to play, play, play - and score, score, score," Titi declared. "If it was a question of money, I could have stayed at Liverpool and picked it up. I need to play, and if I don't it is totally pointless." He remained at Upton Park for two and a half years but only played in 14 matches and failed to score in any of them. By now past his thirty-first birthday, he went on a four-month loan in Saudi Arabia in January 2003 where he enjoyed life's riches. He scored a hat-trick in his second game and was rewarded by three luxury cars and lived in the presidential suite at the Jeddah Meridien Hotel and had servants, drivers and security staff on call 24 hours a day. Titi was ecstatic as he told the Sunday Mirror: "It was a fantastic opportunity for me to play football but I never imagined it would prove so lucrative," he admitted. "Some of my West Ham teammates have had a few laughs at my expense but I'm living like a king out here. They keep going on about camels and sand but the only camel I've seen is the 5-litre variety. They would be pig-sick if they could see me out here. Every time I feel sorry for myself I just take a look at my standard of living and count my money. I'm playing football and I'm loaded." Next stop was Qatar and Titi finally went back to France where he had started his professional career, with Amiens. In June 2009 Titi took over as manager of Guinea's national team, a post which he held for four months. At the end of 2010 Titi was appointed Guinea's Sports Minister and remained in office until October 2012 when he was forced out in a government reshuffle. In 2015 he was running a football academy in his home country.
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 33 2 2 0 0 37
1999-2000 33 2 2 0 0 37
2000-2001 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
3 178 Southampton
2 179 Sheffield Wednesday
2 177 Arsenal
2 174 Watford
2 161 Leeds United
2 159 Newcastle United
2 141 Manchester United
2 119 Bradford City
2 101 Wimbledon
2 96 Coventry City
2 93 Tottenham
2 79 Leicester City
2 75 Derby
2 33 Aston Villa
1 90 Huddersfield Town
1 90 Middlesbrough
1 90 Blackburn Rovers
1 78 West Ham United
1 25 Chelsea
1 20 Everton
1 14 Hull City
1 8 Sunderland
Total Started/substitutions
24 Started
2 On the bench
13 Substitute
13 Substituted
Total Venue
19 Away
18 Home
Total Competition
33 Premier League
2 FA Cup
2 League Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
37 19 8 10 51.4% Gérard Houllier
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 9 1 0 0 0 10
1999-2000 9 1 0 0 0 10
2000-2001 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Total Started/substitutions
9 Started
1 Substitute
Total Competition
9 Premier League
1 FA Cup
Total Goal minute period
2 16-30 minutes
3 31-45 minutes
1 46-60 minutes
1 61-75 minutes
3 76-90 minutes
Total Goal origin
10 Open play
Assists per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 1 1 0 0 0 2
1999-2000 1 1 0 0 0 2
2000-2001 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's assists
Total Opponent
1 Huddersfield Town
1 Newcastle United
Total Competition
1 FA Cup
1 Premier League
Total For player
1 Dominic Matteo
1 Michael Owen
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 07.08.1999 Sheffield Wednesday Hillsborough League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 84 07.08.1999 Sheffield Wednesday Hillsborough League
Related Articles
Liverpool Daily Post report

Liverpool Daily Post report on Liverpool - West Ham on 27.10.1999.

CRISIS? What crisis?

Liverpool Daily Post report on Leeds - Liverpool on 23.08.1999.

GREATNESS is as greatness does

Liverpool Daily Post match report on Sheffield Wednesday - Liverpool on 07.08.1999.

Seven arrive in the summer of 1999

We wanted to refresh your memories how Liverpool has done in the market in recent years.

Titi wants to leave Liverpool

Gérard Houllier last night revealed striker Titi Camara has handed in a transfer request - from liverpoolfc.tv on 31.10.2000.

Related Quotes

"At Liverpool, I was lucky enough to be playing for a great club but unfortunately things didn't go well with Gerard Houllier. The memories I have from Anfield will stay with me right until my final days.

It's not that I lacked ambition. The first season went very well, but after that Gerard Houllier wanted to stop me playing for Guinea. He wasn't happy when I left and when I got back, he decided to sideline me. It was sad for the fans, because I'd given quite a lot to Liverpool and I'd also learned a lot from Liverpool in return.

That's part of a footballer's life. There are times when a coach decides a footballer's fate and it's sad."

Camara in 2004

"When he first came, the first three or four months, we all thought what have we got here – Pele? Everytime you gave him the ball he was flicking it over someone's head or scoring some great goals. Unfortunately it went a bit pear shaped for him towards the end."

Jamie Carragher on Titi Camara

Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Saint-Étienne 1991-1992 France 1 15 3 15 3
Saint-Étienne 1992-1993 France 1 16 2 16 2
Saint-Étienne 1993-1994 France 1 26 4 26 4
Saint-Étienne 1994-1995 France 1 33 7 33 7
Lens 1995-1996 France 1 36 9 42 11
Lens 1996-1997 France 1 27 6 27 6
Lens 1997-1998 France 1 0 0 0 0
Marseille 1998-1999 France 1 30 6 41 8
West Ham United 2000-2001 England Premier League 6 0 6 0
West Ham United 2001-2002 England Premier League 1 0 1 0
West Ham United 2002-2003 England Premier League 4 0 6 0
Al Ittihad 2002-2003 Saudi Arabia 0 0 0 0
Al Siliya 2003-2004 Qatar 20 14 20 14
Amiens 2004-2005 France 2 13 6 13 6
Amiens 2005-2006 France 2 13 3 13 3
Total 240 60 259 64