Diagne-Faye Profile

By Mark Heys
May 21 2006

Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye

Born: Dakar, Senegal, 26th February 1978

International Honours: Senegal Full

Position: Midfielder/Defender

Squad Number: 25

Former Clubs: Ndiambour (Senegal), Jeanne D'Arc (Senegal), Racing Club Lens (France), Istres (France) (loan)

Defensive midfielder or centre-half who was signed on loan by the club from French club Lens in July 2005 following the retirement of Spanish legend Fernando Hierro.

Diagne-Faye has been capped half a dozen times by Senegal and he is familiar with El-Hadji Diouf, now his teammate at club level with Bolton.

He spent the 2004-2005 campaign out on loan to French club Istres and he proved to be a leading light for them in the French Ligue 1. despite their eventual relegation at the end of the season.

His style of play is often compared to that of countryman Papa Bouba Diop, who is of course a regular performer in the Premiership having been at Fulham since 2004.

Ex-Bolton manager Sam Allardyce was confident that the African battler would fill the defensive midfield role vacated by Hierro and he was proved right as the African played a huge part in the Bolton team throughout 2005-2006.

He made his loan agreement permanent midway through the season and quickly became a favourite with the Bolton public due to his no nonesense approach in the centre of the midfield

As the season reached its conclusion he replaced Bruno N'Gotty at the heart of the Bolton defence and he continued in that role alongside Abdoulaye Meite at the start of the 2006-2007 season.

Many prefer him in a central midfield holding role and manager Sammy Lee deployed the big battler in that position for his first two games in charge of the club.

BOLTON RECORD: 59 appearances, 3 goal