Name: Yohan Cabaye
Squad number: 4
Nationality: French
Born: 14th January, 1986, Tourcoing, France
Height: 1.74m (5ft 8.5ins)
Weight: 71.3kgs
Previous clubs: Lille
Signed: June 2011 from Lille
Newcastle United debut: 13th August, 2011 v Arsenal (home), Premier League
Position: Midfielder
Signed from Lille on 10th June, 2011, for an undisclosed fee, Yohan Cabaye has quickly settled into life at Newcastle United.
The central midfielder was handed the number four shirt by manager Alan Pardew and formed an impressive partnership in the centre of the park with Cheick Tiote as the Magpies made a flying start to the 2011/12 Premier League season.
Cabaye made his debut in the opening game of the campaign against Arsenal on 13th August, and opened his account a couple of months later as he curled home the only goal of the game against Wigan on 22nd October.
Early Days
Born in Tourcoing, in northern France, Cabaye spent seven years in the youth set-up at Tourcoing FC before leaving for Lille, aged 11. He rose through the ranks at Lille and made his professional debut at the start of the 2004/05 season as they won the Intertoto Cup. His league debut came on 7th November, 2004, against Istres. The following season, Cabaye became a regular for Les Dogues, making 20 starts, and appeared in both the Champions League and UEFA Cup. His first professional goal came on 19th November, 2005, as Lille lost 3-2 to Auxerre. One of Cabaye's best seasons for Lille came in 2009/10 when he scored 15 goals and made ten assists, as they finished fourth in Ligue 1 and reached the knockout stage of the Europa League. But from a team perspective they bettered that the following year, not only clinching the Ligue 1 title, but also winning the Coupe De France to complete an historic double, with Cabaye a key player in Lille's achievements.
International Career
Cabaye has represented Frace at Under 16, Under 18, Under 19, Under 20, Under 21 and full senior level. He won the Tournoi du Val-de-Marne as part of the Under 16 squad in October 2001, and played a key role in the Under 19s winning the 2005 UEFA Under 19 Championship, held in Northern Ireland. The following year, Cabaye was called into the Under 20 team which participated inthe 2006 Toulon Tournament, triumphing thanks to a 5-3 win on penalties over Holland in the final. The midfielder won 15 caps for the Under 21s, and made his senior international debut on 11th August, 2010 in a friendly against Norway.
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Originally Posted by Fourteen
