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stewie griffin 9:47 Thu Jan 14
Julien Faubert - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

Julien Faubert speaks to Sky Sports about his special connection with West Ham, the truth behind that loan move to Real Madrid and his dream of returning to England to finish his career…

It was seven years ago this January that Julien Faubert found himself at the centre of one of the most surprising transfers in recent history. The French winger was in and out of mid-table West Ham's starting line-up after an injury-hit start to life in east London, when out of nowhere he received a phone call from Real Madrid. Even Faubert couldn't quite believe it.

"I remember I was on the team coach to go to play against Fulham when they called me," he tells Sky Sports. "First of all I said: 'Yeah, I'm quite busy now', because I didn't really believe it. We played the game, I think we won, and afterwards I picked up my phone and I saw around 15 calls and 20 messages. I thought, okay, maybe it's not a joke! It was crazy."

Faubert called his agent, who confirmed the news, and two weeks later he was unveiled on a six-month loan deal at the Bernabeu. The reigning La Liga champions needed cover on the right flank, and they were willing to pay an initial £1m for Faubert, who had joined West Ham from Bordeaux 18 months earlier.

Faubert would return to Upton Park that summer having made just two substitute appearances for Madrid, but the experience holds happy memories too. "I didn't play a lot because, to be honest, I didn't have a good connection with the manager Juande Ramos," he said. "The team was also playing pretty well, and in my place Arjen Robben was playing and scoring every game.


"The press and friends were laughing and things, but not many players can say that kind of club was interested in you. It is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and the feeling and the experience was amazing. I played with Fabio Cannavaro, Michel Salgado, Raul, Guti. The quality was crazy."

Faubert was infamously - and unfairly - accused of falling asleep on the bench during a La Liga game with Villarreal, but no one could reproach him for slacking now. The 32-year-old rejected offers from the MLS and elsewhere after reaching the end of his second stint at Bordeaux in the summer, and he has spent the last few months tirelessly honing his physical condition with a view to finding a new club in the winter transfer window.

Near his family home in Catalonia, Faubert spends six days a week training with CE L'Hospitalet, a small club in Spain's third tier who have welcomed him with open arms. "I'm training every week from Monday to Saturday, because they play on Sundays," he says.

"In the morning I train with them, then I have a rest in the afternoon, and at 7pm I go to the gym with a personal trainer, lifting weights, doing foot exercises and cardio. So that's my day. Every day, every day, every day… I'm in good shape, I'm ready to play and mentally I'm hungry. I need to play now. I need to compete."

The ramshackle surroundings of L'Hospitalet are a world away from the Bernabeu, but Faubert is optimistic about the future. After all, this is a player who, at the age of 22, wore Zinedine Zidane's iconic No 10 shirt on his debut for France, marking the occasion with a late winner against Bosnia and Herzegovina.



The highly-rated wideman looked destined for big things when he earned a £6m transfer to West Ham a year later, but disaster struck when he ruptured an Achilles tendon on his first appearance for the club in pre-season. The prognosis was six months out. His debut would have to wait.

"It was my dream to play in the Premier League so when I arrived I was really motivated," he recalls. "The pain was crazy but mentally as well it was like a punch in the head." Alan Curbishley, West Ham's manager at the time, described it as a "devastating blow for everyone".




"The club was really kind to me and helped me to come back," says Faubert. "They didn't push me, they didn't put me under pressure. To be honest West Ham is just an amazing club in England. In France, the people don't know that club like English people. I think that's why I had some problems with the national team. But I really love that club."



Faubert was one of West Ham's best players after returning from Real Madrid in the 2009/10 campaign, making 33 Premier League appearances and endearing himself to supporters when he played through a 0-0 draw with Blackburn just 48 hours after the death of his mother. In the end, his last game for the club was the victorious Championship play-off final against Blackpool in 2012.


"West Ham is a part of my life now, and when I go back to Upton Park it feels like home," he says. "I spent a really good time there with crazy, special fans. If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have done. I don't know exactly what happened when I left. I had an agent who told me they had offered me something, but I never saw the offer. In the end I had to find something else."

Faubert had a brief stint in Turkey before his second spell at Bordeaux, but now he is dreaming of a return to England. There has been interest from the Championship, and newspaper reports have linked him with Remi Garde's Aston Villa.

"My body is ready and I have three or four years in front of me," he says. "At the moment I have nothing concrete, but we are in touch with some clubs in the Championship. I hope it's going to happen. I think everybody knows I like English football. I had one year in the Championship and I enjoyed it a lot because the tempo and the rhythm of the game is crazy."

Faubert's career has taken plenty of unexpected turns over the years, but coming back to England just feels right. "If something happens," he says, "I will be very happy."

peroni 9:55 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

Good article.

I always liked Faubert.

joey5000 9:58 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

Agreed, Peroni. And he saved his best performance for Millwall.

penners28 10:00 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

*waits for p

Lovejoy 10:01 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

Didn't know that about his mum.

Respect.

SteveJacko 10:12 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

The man with the amazing YouTube video. He always got stick, but to be fair was okay in the championship for us. I remember his through ball against Hull for Cole (I think) to score, the class was there in glimpses.

On The Ball 10:13 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

Always liked him. He looked really good before his injury, setting up quite a few of our early goals that season. Had no idea about his mother though.

It's good to hear a player having good feelings about us despite getting a fair bit of stick. He did always seem to go a bit extra mental when we scored.

Honest Hammer 10:25 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

Thankfully he didn't because he was shit.

Good the championship. Woeful in the PL.

HairyHammer 10:34 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

After his Injury he was absolutely useless and even before he was average to ok in my opinion.

One of those players who took two steps forward and five steps back.

Steve P 10:34 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

Fucking useless French cunt.

In terms of shitness, I'm going

1 - Cole
2 - Faubert
3 - McCarthorse
4 - Nolan

stewie griffin 10:38 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

Another win for the football stadium here

FOMB 10:39 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

Shit before his injury?

I thought he was injured in pre-season?

:^) 10:41 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

His career DID pretty much finish at West Ham, so he can't be too disappointed.

Would be amazed if he gets another 4 years of football at a high standard.

Northern Sold 10:41 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

Knew P would pipe up on here slagging off all the West ham legends...

FOMB 10:42 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

I never thought McCartney was shit.

An unspectacular but steady left back is how I'd describe him.

SDKFZ 222 10:45 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

He was better on the wing, in his correct place, in the Championship but was woeful in the Premier, especially as a right back or wing back. I lost count of the amount of mistakes he made which led to goals for the opposition, I was at Hull for that 3-3 draw when he was responsible for two of their goals!

:^) 10:46 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

McCarthorse was crap and would have been on the football scrap heap years before had we not rescued him from Sunderland.

Not even Leeds wanted him at the time after his loan spell.

One McAvennieeeeee 10:48 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

The PEA clan are a hard lot to please, that's for sure!

Josh 10:50 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

Faubert > Jenkinson

riosleftsock 10:56 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

Won't hear a bad word about him, model professional and west ham legend.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/05/18/article-0-04FCF79C000005DC-63_468x342.jpg

i-Ron 11:09 Thu Jan 14
Re: Julien FAUBERT - 'If I could have finished my career at West Ham, I would have'

I was thinking the same thing the other day One Mac!

Over the next few years if we are to progress to the next level, we'll replace players who've not done anything wrong, but just because we will need better players to make that step up.

Us P's don't have much time for sentiment, and we'll embrace this ruthlessly, (if that happens obviously) and I reckon most WHO'ers won't like it much. Locking HORNS!

As for Faubert, what a toilet player. I can't even be arsed to draw up a comparison who I thought was worse between him and Spector at right back.

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