By Mark Heys
January 8 2006

Martin Djetou

Born: Brogohlo, Ivory Coast, 15th December 1974

International Honours: France, Full, B, U21

Position: Defensive Midfielder/Central Defender

Squad Number:

Former Clubs: Cretiel (France), Strasbourg (France), Monaco (France), Parma (Italy), Fulham, Nice (France)

Versatile Frenchman who came to Bolton on a one year contract in October 2005 having been out of work since leaving OSC Nice.

Djetou's previous spell in England came between 2002 and 2004 when on loan to Fulham following a contractual dispute with Italian employers Parma.

The Cottagers used him mainly in a defensive midfield position but he also filled in at centre half and right back whenever the likes of Zat Knight and Moritz Volz were unavailable.

During his teen years he played with French clubs Geoffroy Creteil and US Creteil before being snapped up by Racing Club Strasbourg as a junior player in 1990.

He made his debut in professional football in August 1992 in a French First Division game against AS Monaco, a club whom he was later to serve in a four year spell in the mid 1990's.

After 84 games at the Stade de la Meinau he swapped the blue of Strasbourg for the red of Monaco and went on to win the French championship with them in 1997 and 2001.

His stay with the French Riviera club lasted five years before Parma shelled out a fee in excess of £6.5 million to take him to the Italian Serie A league.

In his first season with Parma he made 23 appearances but it was strange that the six times capped French international was farmed out on loan after just one season.

Parma stated that Djetou was not what they were looking for but the player wanted to see out his contract with them all the same, as he wanted to play regular first team football.

With that in mind a big move to England was forecast with all the big guns touting for his signature, but it came as quite a surprise that Fulham should win the race to sign him on a year long loan in the summer of 2002 with the option of a permanent deal.

Djetou had previously worked for the then Fulham manager Jean Tigana at Monaco and it was Tigana's influence which helped the Ivory-Coast born player get his career back on track.

He made his debut for Fulham as a substitute in the home defeat to London rivals West Ham United in October 2002 and went to keep his place in the side for the remainder of that season. His only goal of that season against Leeds United proved to be a particular highlight.

Djetou still wasn't wanted back by Parma once his loan spell in England had expired so Fulham swooped once again to take the powerful utility player back to England for the year.

His second season in English football was as equally as competent as the first, and he lined up against Wanderers on two seperate occasions that season, with his last Fulham appearance ironically coming at the Reebok Stadium in May 2004.

BOLTON RECORD: 3 appearances, 0 goals

In January 2006 Djetou decided to leave the club after a new contract offer was not forthcoming