Grégory Vignal

Football player infobox
playername = Grégory Vignal


fullname = Grégory Vignal
height = height|m=1.8
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1981|7|19
cityofbirth = Montpellier
countryofbirth = France
currentclub = Lens
clubnumber = 3
position = Defender
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1999–2000
2000–2005
2003
2003
2004
2004–2005
2005–2006 2006–
2007
2007–2008
clubs = Montpellier
Liverpool
→ Bastia (loan)
→ Rennes (loan)
→ Espanyol (loan)
→ Rangers (loan)
Portsmouth
Lens
→ 1. FC Kaiserslautern (loan)
→ Southampton (loan)
caps(goals) = 000 (0)
011 (0)
015 (0)
005 (0)
008 (1)
030 (3)
014 (0)
009 (0)
009 (1)
020 (3)
pcupdate = 19:02, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Grégory Vignal (born July 19, 1981 in Montpellier) is a French football player. He plays on the left of defence or midfield and is currently on at French Ligue 1 team RC Lens.

Playing career

Vignal began his career at his home town club, Montpellier Hérault SC. He soon established a reputation as a promising young player, and was signed by Liverpool in September 2000 for £500,000.

He immediately impressed in his first reserve team outings and made his first team debut against Rotherham United in the FA Cup. He went on to make a further six appearances during the 2000-01 season.

Vignal returned for the following season having featured in the World Youth Championship with the France Under-18 squad, and staked his claim for the left-back spot with some impressive performances at the start of the 2001-02 season. However, he found it hard to displace the reliable and experienced John Arne Riise. He went on to make 9 appearances that season.

He made just four appearances during the first half of the 2002-03 season, and was loaned to Sporting Club de Bastia for the remainder of the campaign in mid-January 2003.

During the 2003-04 campaign Vignal was again loaned out to Stade Rennais FC for the first half of the season, and to RCD Espanyol for the latter half.

Vignal impressed greatly at Rangers as the club regained the Scottish Premier League title, playing 42 games for the club, picking up a Scottish League Cup winner's medal as well as the championship.

At the end of the season Vignal's Liverpool contract expired, and with him available on a free transfer Rangers wanted Vignal to sign a permanent contract with them. However he failed to agree terms, instead opting to move to Portsmouth. He was then released from Portsmouth after failing to impress Harry Redknapp on his return in the 2005-06 season. He then moved to RC Lens on a free transfer; Lens loaned him to Kaiserslautern in January 2007 for the second half of the season.

On 9 July 2007, he began a one week trial with Southampton [http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/?page_id=8687] , which was extended to a season-long loan on 27 July 2007. He made his debut for the club in the match against Lazio. He scored his first goal for the Saints with a free-kick in a 2-0 win over Leicester City F.C in the FA Cup. Vignal scored his first league goal for Southampton against Scunthorpe United from a penalty whilst playing with a broken arm. He scored another penalty in the 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers before being sent-off for an off the ball incident. However he later won an appeal against the card. Vignal scored yet another penalty in the following match against Blackpool FC, which put the Saints 1-0 up. The game finished 2-2. He currently has 4 goals this season.

Honours

* FA Cup: 2001
* UEFA Cup: 2001
* European Super Cup: 2001
* Scottish League Cup: 2005
* Scottish Premier League: 2005

External links

*soccerbase|id=22584|name=Grégory Vignal
* [http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/past_players/players/vignal/ Liverpool FC profile]
* [http://www.lfchistory.net/player_profile.asp?player_id=433 LFCHistory.net profile]