Habib Beye

Football player infobox
playername = Habib Beye


fullname = Habib Beye
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1977|10|19
cityofbirth = Suresnes
countryofbirth = France
height = Height|m=1.82
currentclub = Newcastle United
clubnumber = 21
position = Right back
years = 1997–1998
1998–2003
2003–2007
2007–
clubs = Paris Saint-Germain
Strasbourg
Marseille
Newcastle United
caps(goals) = 000 (0)
134 (8)
147 (4)
032 (1)
nationalyears = 2001–
nationalteam = Senegal
nationalcaps(goals) = 035 (1)
pcupdate = 18:04, 30 August 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 22:43, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Habib Beye (born October 19, 1977 in Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine), is a French-Senegalese footballer who currently plays for English Premiership club Newcastle United. His primary position is as a right back in defence, whilst he is also able to play in central defence.

=Club career=

Paris Saint-Germain

He joined Paris Saint-Germain in 1997, though he progressed no further than the reserve side, playing in the national fifth division. He transferred at the end of the season to RC Strasbourg in 1998 for an undisclosed amount.

RC Strasbourg

Following his summer move to RC Strasbourg in 1998, Beye made his league debut on 8 August 1998 in a home 0-0 draw against Olympique Lyonnais, and played a total of 23 times in his first season at the club. He missed just five league matches in the following season, and netted for the first time on 2 October 1999 in a 2-2 home draw with FC Girondins de Bordeaux. He was a member of the RC Strasbourg side that won the 2001 French Cup, eventually defeating third division Amiens SC in a penalty shoot-out, whilch helped his team achieve UEFA Cup qualification in the following season. He appeared a total of 134 times in the league for Strasbourg, scoring 8 goals, before moving to Marseille in 2003, a move which surprised many as he was a firm favourite at RC Strasbourg and had established himself as a key player there.

Olympique Marseille

Beye signed for Marseille in the summer of 2003 for a reported €2.5million, by then manager Alain Perrin. In his opening season with the club, he took part in both UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup cup football. He was a key player for the Marseille side that reached the 2004 UEFA Cup Final, a run which involved him putting in a star performance as a central defender against his current team Newcastle United, where he was particularly effective against Newcastle’s talisman striker Alan Shearer. He ended up on the losing side as Marseille lost the Final to Valencia CF 3-0. He was also a beaten finalist in the 2006 French Cup against former club Paris Saint-Germain, a match which his team lost 2-1, and again in 2007 when his Marseille team lost on penalties to FC Sochaux. His time with Marseille was a successful one where established himself as one of the most accomplished defenders in France's top tier and was voted the fans’ Player of the Year in 2006. He was captain of Marseille for two years prior to his move to Newcastle United.

Newcastle United

Beye signed for Newcastle United for a fee of £2million (€3million) on 31 August, 2007, during the closing minutes of the summer transfer window. He signed a 3 year contract, with then Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce declaring that he was very pleased with the transfer. Allardyce said in a later interview on the clubs website that he felt he acquired Beye for a "bargain" price and that him and his international colleague who also signed with him, Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye would be excellent signings for Newcastle. [cite news
title = Marseille Skipper Completes Move
author = Craig Hope
url = http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1103823,00.html
date = 2007-08-31
accessdate = 2007-08-31
publisher = Newcastle United]

He made his debut on 17 September, as a substitute in Newcastle’s 1–0 defeat at Derby County. He then made his full debut at home to West Ham United, a display which impressed many Newcastle fans. He has since been a fixture in the first team, and scored his first goal for Newcastle in the 2–1 win against Birmingham City on December 9, with a near post header in second-half injury time.

His performance against Reading on April 5, 2008, was widely praised with one renowned football critic calling him the "most skillful right back in the premiership"Fact|date=April 2008

His ability to defend well and provide a good outlet going forward have enamored him to the Newcastle faithful and a number of terrace songs have been heard, starting with a chant of his name to the tune of Happy Days first heard at Fulham.Fact|date=August 2008

His status as a cult hero has been cemented by the creation of the tongue-in-cheek fan site [http://www.beyewatch.co.uk Beyewatch]

On May 22, Beye was named Newcastle player of the season based on fan votes to a poll organised by the Evening Chronicle [ [http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/05/22/beye-tops-toon-fans-end-of-season-poll-72703-20947820/ Beye tops Toon fans' end of season poll] www.chroniclelive.co.uk, 22 May 2008] , he was then named the official Newcastle player of the season on May 23, [cite news
title = NUFC Player Of The Season Result
author = Craig Hope
url = http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1318089,00.html
date = 2008-05-23
accessdate = 2008-05-23] as well as being named the Newcastle United Disabled Supporters Association Player of the Season on August 22. [cite news
title = Habib Takes Toon Award
date = 2008-08-22
author = Newcastle United
url = http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1373051,00.html
accessdate = 2008-08-22]

International career

Beye has been a regular in the Senegal national squad since 2001, and has 35 caps and one goal. He made substitute appearances in Senegal's matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, against Denmark, Uruguay and Sweden. He retired from international football in an effort to concentrate on his club career following a shambolic African Cup of Nations by Senegal in 2008, [cite news
title = Beye ends Senegal career
author = Eurosport
url = http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/06022008/58/african-cup-nations-beye-ends-senegal-career.html
date = 2008-02-06
accessdate = 2008-02-06
publisher = Yahoo Sports] though he was then called up to a friendly against Libya on 20 August, 2008, meaning that he had either not retired or chosen to come out of it.

porting titles and awards

Individual

*Newcastle United Player of the Year: 2008

Club

;Strasbourg:
*French Cup Winner: 2001

;Marseille:
*French Cup Runner up (2): 2006, 2007
*UEFA Cup Runner up: 2004

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=21955|name=Habib Beye