Jean-Alain Boumsong
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jean-Alain Boumsong-Somkong | ||
| Date of birth | 14 December 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Douala, Cameroon | ||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2000 | Le Havre | 42 | (1) |
| 2000–2004 | Auxerre | 131 | (3) |
| 2004–2005 | Rangers | 18 | (2) |
| 2005–2006 | Newcastle United | 47 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | Juventus | 33 | (2) |
| 2008–2010 | Lyon | 59 | (2) |
| 2010–2013 | Panathinaikos | 63 | (5) |
| Total | 393 | (15) | |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2003–2009 | France | 27 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 September 2013. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 3 September 2013 |
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Jean-Alain Boumsong-Somkong (born 14 December 1979) is a professional football defender, and former French international. He is known for his physical strength, pace and reading of the game.
Boumsong was born in Douala, Cameroon, and started his career with French team Le Havre before joining Auxerre. He notably scored the 89th-minute winning goal in Auxerre's 2–1 win in the 2003 French Cup Final against Paris Saint-Germain.
A long-time target for then Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier, the press speculated that it was only a matter of time before Boumsong signed for Liverpool. However, as Boumsong was a free agent, his agent, the Monaco based Scot Willie McKay negotiated the best sign-on fee to the player for Boumsong from Scottish Premier League club Rangers.
As a result, Boumsong joined Alex McLeish at Rangers in 2004 and signed a five-year contract. Boumsong quickly adapted to the Scottish game and showed his skill as a centre back, leading to rumours that his stay in Glasgow may be shorter than expected. Halfway through the 2004–05 season, Newcastle under new manager Graeme Souness, made an £8 million bid for him, which Rangers accepted in a deal that was finalized once the January 2005 transfer window opened.
Boumsong signed a 5½-year contract with the Magpies. However, as Boumsong had played the requisite number of games for Rangers that season, he still received a Scottish Championship Winners Medal, despite having been a Newcastle player for around five months by the time Rangers won the title.
The £8 million transfer fee raised eyebrows, as the player, being out of contract, had joined Rangers for free just months before, at which point Newcastle showed no interest in signing him. This transfer is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns:
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