Lamine Diatta

Football player infobox
playername = Lamine Diatta


fullname = Lamine Diatta
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1975|7|2
cityofbirth = Dakar
countryofbirth = Senegal
height = height|meters=1.84
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Defender
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1998–1999
1999 1999–2004
2004–2006
2006–2007
2007–2008
2008
clubs = Toulouse FC
Olympique Marseille Stade Rennais
Olympique Lyonnais
St. Étienne
Beşiktaş J.K.
Newcastle United
caps(goals) = 025 0(0)
000 0(0) 129 (11)
030 0(0)
025 0(1)
006 0(0)
002 0(0)
nationalyears = 2000–2008
nationalteam = Senegal
nationalcaps(goals) = 040 0(3)
pcupdate = 17:01, 26 April 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 00:05, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

Lamine Diatta (born July 2, 1975 in Dakar) is a Senegalese footballer who currently plays as a defender yet is not attached to any club after being released by Newcastle United. Diatta moved to France when he was only 1 year old. He is the holding force in the centre of Senegal's defence, and is also tough in the air, which provides a threat in attacking set-pieces. He was also Senegal's captain.

Diatta played in all of Senegal's matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Before moving to Olympique Lyon in 2004, Diatta played 142 games for Stade Rennais, scoring 9 goals in that time. Before his time at Rennes, he was at Marseille, but never actually played a game for them. Diatta's first club was Toulouse FC. He spent one season there and played 25 games without scoring. In his first year (2004/2005) with Lyon he played 19 games. During his second year (2005/2006) at Lyon, he was troubled with injury and only makes 13 appearances also without goals. On August 2006, he left Lyon on free transfer in search for regular team football, settling at St. Étienne. He has also played 40 games for his national side, scoring three goals.

On March 7, 2008, after a week's trial at Newcastle United, Diatta agreed a short term deal until the end of the season after buying out his contract at Beşiktaş J.K.. [cite news
date=2008-03-07
url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3254701,00.html
title=Magpies seal Diatta deal
publisher=Sky Sports
accessdate=2008-03-07] The deal was finally confirmed by the club on March 14 after a week of confusion. [cite news
date=2008-03-14
url=http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1265418,00.html
title=Diatta Determined To Help Toon Fight
publisher=Newcastle United
accessdate=2008-03-14]

On April 5 2008 he made his first team début for Newcastle as a substitute in the Premier League match against Reading, though he was released on May 15.

Honours

*Winner of French Ligue 1 championship in 2005 and 2006 with Olympique Lyonnais.

References