Bakary Sako
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Sako with Saint-Étienne in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bakary Sako | ||
| Date of birth | 26 April 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Ivry-sur-Seine, France | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder / Winger | ||
| Club information | |||
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Current team
|
Crystal Palace | ||
| Number | 26 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2000 | Vitry CA | ||
| 2000–2002 | US Ivry | ||
| 2002–2006 | Châteauroux | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2009 | Châteauroux | 68 | (9) |
| 2009–2012 | Saint-Étienne | 106 | (12) |
| 2012–2015 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 118 | (36) |
| 2015– | Crystal Palace | 27 | (2) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2005 | Mali U17 | 1 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | France U21 | 10 | (2) |
| 2014– | Mali | 21 | (9) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:35, 21 May 2017 (UTC). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:47, 14 February 2017 (UTC) |
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Bakary Sako (born 26 April 1988) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Crystal Palace. He is also a Malian international.
Sako had been with Châteauroux since 2001, joining the club as an academy player. He made his league debut on the final matchday of the 2005–06 Ligue 2 season coming on as a half-time substitute in a 4–1 victory over Bastia. Following the season, he signed his first professional contract after agreeing to a three-year deal. He was promoted to the senior squad and assigned the number 26 shirt.
During the next two seasons, Sako was limited to mostly substitute appearances. He did score his first league goal, during the 2007–08 season, in a 1–2 defeat against Brest. During the 2008–09 season Sako became an integral part of the team, helping the club narrowly avoid relegation on the final day.
On 9 July 2009, Sako departed Châteauroux for Ligue 1 club AS Saint-Étienne, where he signed a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
On 29 August 2012, Sako signed for Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee that was reported to be £2.2 million. He scored on his Wolves debut in a League Cup tie against Northampton on 30 August 2012, and again on his league debut in the following match, a 1–3 defeat at Cardiff.
The winger adapted well to English football, scoring ten times in total and contributing eleven assists. However, his season was halted early when he tore his hamstring in March 2013 in a match against Bristol City, which ruled him out for much of the season's final games, during which the team were relegated to League One.
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