Olivier Dacourt

Early career

Dacourt was born in Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis. He made his debut in Division 1 with Strasbourg on 20 March 1993 in an away game with Auxerre, which Strasbourg lost 2–0. On 24 May 1997, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal for Strasbourg in an away match against Paris Saint-Germain, however, Strasbourg lost the match 2–1. Dacourt transferred to Everton in 1998 and his debut game in the Premier League was a 0–0 draw against Aston Villa on 15 August 1998. On 23 September 1998, he scored his first goal in a League Cup tie against Huddersfield Town. Dacourt became a fan favourite with the Everton supporters, but was booed at the club's final home game of the season in May 1999 against West Ham after comments in a French article that he was unhappy at the club and looking to leave in the summer. Dacourt returned to France after one season at Everton to play for Lens, where he impressed and earned a multimillion-pound move back to the Premier League, joining the Yorkshire club Leeds United.

Leeds United

Dacourt joined Leeds United from Lens in a £7.2 million move in 2000, and broke Leeds' transfer record at the time. He proved to be an instant hero at Elland Road with his tenacious style and ball winning play. His time at Leeds saw them reach the Champions League semi finals and also finishing in the top 4 of the Premier League. He was a regular in centre midfield under manager David O'Leary, mainly partnering David Batty in Leeds' midfield. His form…

Dacourt played for France at the 1996 Summer Olympics. After impressing for Leeds United, his first senior appearance with the national team came against hosts South Korea in a match in the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2001, which France won 0–5, as they went on to win the tournament. He was a member of the French team that won the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup and also appeared at UEFA Euro 2004.

International goals

(France score listed first, score column indicates score after each Dacourt goal)

He is the brother-in-law of fellow footballer Norman Sylla.

Strasbourg

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1995 Coupe de la Ligue: 1996–97 Inter Milan

Serie A: 2006–07, 2007–08 Supercoppa Italiana: 2006, 2008 France

FIFA Confederations Cup: 2001, 2003