Laurent Charvet

Personalia: Born: 8/5 1973 Birthplace: Beziers (France) Nationality: France (0/0) Height: 5`11" (181cm) Weight: 12st. 03lb (??kg) Position: Right Back or Midfield League Appearances: Season: Club: Games: Goals: 19?4-1997 Cannes (FRA) 99 19 1997-1998 Chelsea (loan) 11 2 1998-2000 Newcastle United 43 0 2000-2001 Manchester City 20 0 2001-2002 Manchester City - - 2002-2003 Manchester City - - 2002-2003 Sochaux - - Total: 173 21

A versatile defender who can operate at right-back or in central defence. Laurent won a European Cup-Winners' Cup winners medal while on loan to Chelsea from Cannes in 1998, then switched to Newcastle in a £450,000 deal.

Laurent started promisingly at St James' Park but was then plagues by serious injuries and last season played only five games - the last of them in the F.A. Cup at Tottenham in December.

Newcastle manager Kenny Dalglish signed Laurent for £450,000 in 1998, and the frenchman has since worked under former Chelsea colleague Ruud Gullit and Bobby Robson. With the Newcastle squad swelling with defenders Laurent was finding the competition harder and harder, and so when Joe Royle asked for his services he was happy to make the switch to the Manchester club. City paid £1,5 million for his services and he immediately established himself as a regular team member at right back.

Under Keegan Charvet was seen as a surplus to the squad and after long spells in the reserves and also out due to injury he was released from his contract in autumn 2002. Charvet was training with Monaco after leaving Maine Road and was also in talks with French club Sochaux in a bid to resurrect his career He went on to trails at Ipswich (for former manager Joe Royle) and then joined Sochaux for the rest of the season.