Who is Matt Le Tissier? Former Southampton ace the latest footballer to be embroiled in the child abuse scandal rocking the sport
Saints man was one of the stars of the 1990s - an attacking midfielder with an eye for the spectacular
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MATT LE TISSIER is the latest footballer to be embroiled in the abuse scandal rocking the sport.
The former Southampton ace, 48, was one of the stars of the 1990s - an attacking midfielder with an eye for spectacular long-range goals, dubbed 'Le God' by his adoring fanbase.
Possessing a rare mix of flair, skill and power often so lacking in English forwards, the Saints man is famed for only receiving eight caps - despite his huge talent.
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Who did he play for?
A one-club man, the Guernsey-born Le Tissier joined Southampton in 1985, making his debut the following year against Norwich.
By the end of his first professional season, he'd already endeared himself to fans at The Dell with a number of individual goals, including a hat-trick against Leicester.
What sort of player was he?
Despite not being the quickest, Le Tissier's long stride and stinging shot power always seemed to give him an advantage, with his goals increasing in audacity as the 90s went by.
A majestic dribbler, he made up for his lack of stamina with a stunning first touch and faultless technique.
He was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1990, when he was one of the league's top goalscorers with 20 as Southampton finished seventh.
Le Tissier honour board
PFA Young Player of the Year: 1989–90
Southampton F.C. Fans' Player of the Season: 1989–90, 1993–94, 1994–95
Goal of the Month (England): October 1993, August 1994, December 1994
Premier League Player of the Month: December 1994, October 1996
Premier League PFA Team of the Year: 1994–95
English Football Goal of the Season: 1994–95
English Football Hall of Fame: 2013
One Club Man Award: 2015
As the decade progressed, Saints built their team around their exciting forward, whose famous left foot was a deadly weapon to defences.
Le Tiss famously only missed ONE penalty during his career - against Nottingham Forest in 1993 - netting 48 out of 49 attempts.
Why didn't he move on?
He was the subject of interest from many big clubs in England and overseas particularly from Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, but the transfer never happened and Le Tissier would remain faithful to Southampton until his retirement.
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What did he do after he retired?
After his retirement in 2002, he spent two seasons at non-league Eastleigh before hanging up his boots for good.
Since then, he's been a familiar face on Sky Sports, working as a pundit on Soccer Saturday.