Jean-Alain Boumsong
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Jean-Alain Boumsong (born December 14, 1979, in Cameroon) is a professional football defender who currently plays for Newcastle United F.C. and the French national team.
He started his career with French team Le Havre before joining AJ Auxerre. He joined Alex McLeish at Rangers in 2004 and signed a five year contract. However, halfway through the 2004-05 season, Newcastle would make an £8 million bid for him, which Rangers accepted in a deal that was finalized once the January 2005 transfer window opened. Boumsong signed a 5½-year contract with the Magpies. However, as Boumsong has played the requisite number of games for Rangers that season, he still received a Scottish Championship Winners Medal, despite having been a Newcastle player for around 5 months by the time Rangers won the title.
His performances for Newcastle have not been to the fans' expectations as of yet, leading many to question his £8 million price tag. He has been described by the Observer Sport Monthly as "not so much a weak link at the back as an extra attacker for the opposition."
He made his France debut against Japan in 2003 and went with the squad for Euro 2004 although he only made a brief appearance coming on as a substitute in one game. Later, he established himself as a regular starter in the national team and was called up to the squad for the 2006 World Cup. However, he did not see game action in the World Cup.
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