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Younes Kaboul
Younes Kaboul
Younes Kaboul is a French former professional footballer who played as a centre-back for Auxerre, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, Sunderland and Watford. Born on January 4, 1986, in Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, Haute-Savoie, France, Kaboul began his career at Bellegarde, Concordia and Plastics Vallée before joining the youth teams of French club Auxerre from 2000 to 2004.
Kaboul made his professional debut with Auxerre in 2004, playing for the first team until 2007. During this period, he played a total of 15 matches for the club's reserve team and participated in several European competitions, including an appearance against Grazer AK in October 2005. Kaboul also helped Ocsé gain promotion to the French second division in 2006-07.
In January 2007, Kaboul moved to English club Tottenham Hotspur, where he made his Premier League debut on September 20, 2008, scoring a goal against Aston Villa in a match that ended 4-4. However, despite being part of the team's first XI for several months, Kaboul struggled with consistency and was eventually replaced by Robbie Keane at the 102nd minute during Tottenham's 2-1 win over Chelsea in the 2008 FA Cup final.
Kaboul played one season for Tottenham before moving to Portsmouth in August 2008. He then returned to Tottenham Hotspur in January 2010, where he scored several crucial goals, including a match-winning goal against Manchester City in 2011. Kaboul also represented France at the under-21 level and was eligible to play for Morocco due to his Moroccan heritage.
Throughout his career, Kaboul played over 400 matches across various leagues and competitions, scoring more than 20 goals. He is remembered as an accomplished centre-back who struggled with consistency during his time in the Premier League.