Stéphane Guivarc'h

Stéphane Pierre Yves Guivarc'h (born 6 September 1970) is a French former professional footballer who played as striker. He featured in the France squad that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup on home soil.

His early career was spent in France with the Breton clubs Stade Brestois and En Avant Guingamp before moving to AJ Auxerre, where he won Division 1 in 1996. He returned to Brittany with Stade Rennais with whom he won Ligue 1's Golden Boot. At a second spell at Auxerre he retained the Golden Boot in Division 1 and also won the Golden Boot for the 1997–98 UEFA Cup. That summer he started in the World Cup Final.

Guivarc'h left France for Newcastle United of the Premier League after the World Cup but left after three months having failed to make an impact at St James' Park. He finished the season at Rangers FC of the Scottish Premier League with medals in the league and Scottish League Cup, of which he scored in the final. He then returned to Auxerre before retiring after the 2001–02 season with En Avant Guingamp.

Early life
Guivarc'h was born in Concarneau, Finistère.

Brest, Guingamp, Auxerre and Rennes
Guivarc'h's career started at the Breton club Stade Brestois in 1989. In 1991, he moved to another club in the region, En Avant Guingamp, where his goalscoring rate was better than one every two games (68 in 110 league games), prompting a move to AJ Auxerre in 1995. He played for the club as they won a double of Ligue 1 and Coupe de France in 1995–96, under manager Guy Roux, but only scored 3 goals in 23 league appearances. After a season at Auxerre, he returned to a third Breton club, Stade Rennais for a single season, where he won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot for 22 goals in 36 appearances.

Auxerre 1997–98
Guivarc'h's Golden Boot-winning season prompted a return to Auxerre only one year after leaving them. He retained the Division 1 Golden Boot, rewarded for 21 goals in 32 league appearances.

Guivarc'h scored nine times as he helped Auxerre win the 1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup to earn a spot in the 1997–98 UEFA Cup where he netted seven times to earn its Golden Boot. The first goal came in the First Round's First leg against Deportivo La Coruña of Spain in a 2–1 win. The second leg was goalless. In the second round against OFI Crete of Greece, he scored twice in the home leg in a 3–1 victory (Antoine Sibierski got the other goal) and once in the second in a 3–2 defeat (5–4 on aggregate). In the third round's second leg against Twente Enschede of the Netherlands, he scored an 82nd-minute penalty in the 2–0 victory at home to send Auxerre through 3–0 on aggregate.

In the quarter-finals against Lazio of Italy, Auxerre lost the first leg 1–0 away. In the second leg Guivarc'h struck twice in a 2–2 draw which meant that Lazio advanced 3–2 on aggregate.

Newcastle United and Rangers
Guivarc'h was signed for Newcastle United by their manager Kenny Dalglish in the 1998 close season. He played only four league games, despite scoring on his debut against Liverpool, and then was sold to Rangers for £3.5m on 6 November 1998 by new manager Ruud Gullit.

At Rangers he won the treble under Dick Advocaat: the Scottish Premier League, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup. Two days after signing, he scored two goals away at St Johnstone after coming on as a substitute in a 7–0 win. He also scored two away at Heart of Midlothian in a 3–2 win. He scored Rangers' first in the League Cup final versus St Johnstone, which they won 2–1.

Auxerre and Guingamp
After only one season at Rangers he joined Auxerre for a third spell, then for his final season as a professional returned to Guingamp once more. During his two spells at the Breton club he scored 69 goals, a club record.

International career
Guivarc'h made 14 appearances for France between 1997 and 1999; his only international goal came on his debut, in a 2–1 home victory in a friendly against South Africa on 11 October 1997. As a result of his domestic goalscoring record Guivarc'h was selected as the lone striker in the World Cup winning France team of 1998, with the tournament being held on home soil. Despite going scoreless throughout the competition, he played an important role in the team's victory by creating space with his movements and pressing defenders with his work-rate; his role in the team has been retroactively compared to Olivier Giroud's in France's 2018 FIFA World Cup victory. He was given the number 9 shirt by manager Aimé Jacquet and appeared in six of France's seven matches throughout the tournament. In the opening 3–0 victory over South Africa Guivarc'h was substituted for Christophe Dugarry in the 29th minute. He did not play at all in the following 4–0 victory over Saudi Arabia. He appeared as an 85th minute substitute for David Trezeguet in a 2–1 victory over Denmark in the final group stage match.

In the Last 16 against Paraguay he was substituted on in the 76th minute for his Auxerre teammate Bernard Diomede; France would go on to win the match 1–0 after extra-time with a Golden goal from Laurent Blanc. Guivarc'h was yellow carded in the quarter-final against Italy and substituted in the 65th minute along with Christian Karembeu for Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet; France would win the match on penalties following a 0–0 draw after extra-time. In the semi-final versus Croatia Guivarc'h was again substituted for Trezeguet in the 68th minute as France won 2–1.

Guivarc'h would start in the final against Brazil and was substituted off in the 66th minute for Christophe Dugarry as France won 3–0.

On 11 November 1999 Guivarc'h played his final international match, playing the opening 45 minutes in a 3–0 victory over Croatia in an international friendly.

Personal life
Guivarc'h was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1998 after the World Cup victory.

Since retirement as a player, Guivarc'h has returned to his hometown of Concarneau and become a swimming pool salesman. He is married and has three children.

Despite the criticism, France's World Cup-winning manager Aimé Jacquet supported Guivarc'h's performances for his ability to contribute as a pivot despite not scoring in the tournament. He remains incredulous that the striker is perceived as a flop.

International goals

 * Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Guivarc'h goal.

Honours
Auxerre
 * Division 1: 1995–96
 * UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1997

Rangers
 * Scottish Premier League: 1998–99
 * Scottish League Cup: 1998–99

France
 * FIFA World Cup: 1998

Individual
 * Division 1 Golden Boot: 1996–97, 1997–98
 * UEFA Cup Golden Boot: 1997–98

Orders
 * Knight of the Legion of Honour: 1998