The Million Pound Appearance Player: Henri Saivet
Who is Henri Saivet? The average football fan would be forgiven for not knowing who this all but forgotten footballer is. The more eagle-eyed viewer however might remember the name and his story, particularly his time in Newcastle. A Premier League and International footballer purchased for a reported £5 million in 2016? Why doesn’t everyone remember Henri Saivet?
Henri Grégoire Saivet was born October 1990 in Dakar Senegal, it was clear that Saivet had a future in football. In his youth Saivet played for US Clergy Clos before moving to Bordeaux at the age of 12. The club were confident they had a star on their hands, and after five years in the youth system Saivet was handed his first professional appearance at the age of 17. This broke Bordeaux’s record as the youngest player to have played for the club at the time. Saivet went on to make 134 appearances for Bordeaux with the highlight being a goal in the 2013 Coupe de France final against Evian FC where they came out 3-2 winners, lifting the trophy for the first time since 1987.
Saivet’s performances did not go unnoticed, called up in 2013 after playing for the youth teams of the French national set up Saivet decided to pledge his allegiance to the country of his birth, Senegal. Saivet went on to make 27 appearances for the Senegal national team scoring one goal in an Africa Cup of Nations group stage game against Zimbabwe with Senegal running out 2-0 winners with goals from Saivet and Sadio Mané. Saivet even went on to convert his penalty in the shootout defeat to Cameroon in the quarterfinals.
Many clubs including Swansea and Tottenham were vying for Saivet’s signature but ultimately it was Newcastle United who beat off the competition in the January transfer window of 2016. A reported fee of £5 million on a five-and-a-half-year deal, this had tied Saivet to the Magpies for the foreseeable future. This however did not prove to be the move many expected or even hoped for. Saivet stayed at the club until his contract ran down making only eight appearances along the way. A £5 million player? Eight appearances in five-and-a-half-years? How is that possible?
Bought to the club during Steve McClaren’s tenure, Saivet was thought to be the main man in midfield by the club’s chief scout Graham Carr. A diminutive attacking midfielder with a decent record of chipping in with a few goals. McClaren was not a fan of Saivet, not that it mattered too much as McClaren was replaced in March of 2016 by Spaniard Rafael Benítez. Coinciding with the appointment of Benítez was the almost complete removal of Saivet’s playing time. Benítez told Saivet he was not physical enough to play in the Premier League and most certainly was not good enough to dictate a midfield which is what the manager wanted from Saivet. With this Saivet was banished to the reserves.
When hearing that a player has been banished to the reserves, it is common thought that there may have been some sort of altercation between player and manager, this was not the case. Despite the comments about physicality and ability Saivet and Benítez agree they had a good relationship. It was simply a case of Saivet not being a player Benítez wanted in his team, and soon Saivet was shipped out on loan to St Etienne. A decent showing out in France and Saivet returned to Newcastle just to find himself back in the reserves.
A bit unfair on Saivet perhaps? Graham Carr scouted him to be an elusive attacking midfielder but upon his arrival to Newcastle he was seen as a number six by all the managers who left and arrived during his time there. Was it all Saivet’s fault or do the managers have some of the blame to carry on their shoulders? Although Saivet found himself in the reserves he was still a respected footballer over in Senegal, despite not playing first-team football Saivet often found himself in the national team squads and starting eleven on many occasions. This was a strong Senegal squad at the time, the likes of Sadio Mané, Idrissa Gueye and Kalidou Koulibaly were just some of the big names and arguably better than some of the players at his own club, the club that deemed him not good enough and sent him to the reserves.
Could Saivet save his Newcastle career and work his way into the plans of Benítez upon his return from France? Well, sort of. Saivet started an EFL cup game against Nottingham Forest, making this his first game for Newcastle in over a year-and-a-half. Again though, Saivet was sent down to the reserves after not impressing. It looked as if Saivet’s Premier League career was over. That was until Newcastle were hit with an injury crisis. Out of necessity and not choice Benítez recalled Saivet to the first team and on the 23rd of December 2017 he started a Premier League game against West Ham. Almost instantly though it looked like disaster, a back pass in the fifth minute was intercepted by Marko Arnautovic who coolly slotted away the opener, Saivet was left with his hands on his head, were all his doubters right? That’s when Saivet decided to take centre stage. Just minutes after his howler Newcastle were awarded a free-kick 25 yards out and the shock was clear to see when Saivet demanded to take it upon himself. A player banished to the reserves and only called up due to an injury crisis having the audacity to demand a free-kick is a brave player. Not only that Saivet struck the ball true, over the wall and with vigorous dip, perhaps even Saivet was surprised to see the ball nestle into the corner. Newcastle went on to win the game 3-2 and even though Saivet played the rest of the game at a steady six out of ten, that free-kick is what’s remembered.
Benítez was pleased but clearly not enough, Saivet was dropped and once again banished to the reserves. Saivet found himself out on loan at Sivasspor and then Bursaspor not playing for the club again. Saivet now finds himself in the second division of France plying his trade for Pau after his Newcastle contract expired. So, if Saivet was never in the plans for Newcastle, why did the club not just sell him?
It may come as a bit of a surprise then to know that Saivet actually enjoyed his time at Newcastle. Banished to the reserves Saivet was allowed to train with the first team and made great connections with a lot of the players, particularly all the newer signings such as Yoan Gouffran and Yohan Cabaye as part of Newcastle’s so called ‘French Revolution’. Even in 2019 when Steve Bruce arrived Saivet was still in the reserves but was regarded as a key member of the first team environment, despite not being in the squad. It seemed as though Saivet was there to help sustain a happy dressing room.
Good as that may be, a player, simply at the club for morale was earning a lot of money not to be playing. Saivet was on 32k a week, and if you combine his salary over the five years with his initial fee you will come to realise Saivet cost the club over £1 million for every appearance he made for them. The wrong player at the wrong time? Perhaps. An expensive dressing room feature? Most definitely.
Written and Research by BSc Cavan Campbell
