Sylvain Wiltord

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Lore & Background

When his contract with Arsenal expired in the summer of 2004, Wiltord trained for two weeks with Rennes and rejected a move to newly promoted Premier League team West Bromwich Albion. He was also reportedly keen on a move to Arsenal's rivals Tottenham Hotspur. On 31 August, he signed for Lyon on an initial two-year contract. Moving to Lyon, Wiltord found further success, winning three Ligue 1 titles and reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League in successive seasons. He was named in the UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year for the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons. Wiltord's time at Lyon cemented his reputation as a winner, adding to the Ligue 1 title he had already won at Bordeaux in 1998–99.

In Their Own Story

Wiltord's arrival at Lyon in August 2004 came after a four-season spell at Arsenal, where he had won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups. At Lyon, he slotted into a side already dominant in French football. He was ever-present in his first term at Bordeaux and went on to score 22 goals in the following 1998–99 season, where he won the golden boot as Bordeaux lifted the Ligue 1 championship. At Lyon, he replicated that winning habit, securing the Ligue 1 crown in 2004–05, 2005–06, and 2006–07. His individual recognition came with back-to-back selections to the UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year. Wiltord's contribution was part of a golden era for the club, which saw them reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League in successive seasons.

Reader's Guide

Wiltord's three seasons at Lyon represent the peak of the club's historic seven-year run as Ligue 1 champions. He joined after his contract with Arsenal expired, signing on 31 August 2004. During his time at Lyon, he won the Ligue 1 title in each of his three consecutive seasons: 2004–05, 2005–06, and 2006–07. He also reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League in successive seasons. His performances earned him a place in the UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year for 2004–05 and 2005–06. Wiltord's time at Lyon added to a career that already included a Ligue 1 title with Bordeaux in 1998–99, where he won the golden boot with 22 goals. He left Lyon in August 2007 to sign for Rennes on a two-year contract.

Did You Know?

• Wiltord was born on 10 May 1974 in Neuilly-sur-Marne, a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, to a mother from the West Indies and a father he did not know.
• He was one of eight children and at age 14 went to live at his 27-year-old sister's apartment where he cared for his 2-year-old niece.
• Wiltord scored the last-minute equaliser in the UEFA Euro 2000 Final to take the match to extra time, which France then won on a golden goal by David Trezeguet.
• In 2015, he competed on the TF1 reality show Dropped; the day after his elimination, a mid-air helicopter collision killed ten people, including three fellow contestants.
• Wiltord was sponsored by Nike and appeared in a global 'Secret Tournament' commercial for the 2002 World Cup, directed by Terry Gilliam and featuring stars like Thierry Henry, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho.