Name: Celestine Babayaro



Country: Nigeria
Club: FC Chelsea
Position: *SB
Number: 3
Side: LF/BS
Age: 19-23 years (29/08/1978)

Height: 176 cm
Weight: 68 kg

Attack: 75
Defence: 66
Balance: 76
Stamina: 83
Top Speed: 91
Acceleration: 88
Response: 75
Agility: 85
Dribble Accuracy: 79
Dribble Speed: 84
Short Pass Accuracy: 76
Short Pass Speed: 75
Long Pass Accuracy: 76
Long Pass Speed: 77
Shot Accuracy: 69
Shot Power: 81
Shot Technique: 69
Free Kick Accuracy: 68
Curling: 75
Header: 79
Jump: 87
Technique: 78
Aggression: 83
Mentality: 75
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 79

Injury Tolerance: B
Condition: 6
Weak Foot Accuracy: 4
Weak Foot Frequency: 4
Consistency: 5
Growth type: Early / Lasting

CARDS:
S01: Reaction

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Side - Reaction - Dribbling

Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Balanced


INFO:


Babayaro began his playing career at Nigerian side Plateau United, before moving to Belgium club Anderlecht in 1994, and eventually would make a name for himself, quickly gaining first-choice status although still a teenager.

Babayaro was signed by Chelsea F.C. after being spotted by scout and club legend Lewis Durkin. In April 1997 he moved for £2.25m million - a club record paid for a teenager at the time.[citation needed] During his time there, the team won the FA Cup and Charity Shield in 2000, and reached the FA Cup finals in 2002. He faced competition from Graeme Le Saux during his seven-year spell, but managed to play over 200 games for the London side. His acrobatic celebrations with backflips were a highlight and loved by the Stamford Bridge faithfuls.
The steady form of Wayne Bridge saw Babayaro start only four FA Premier League matches for Chelsea in 2004-05 under new manager Jose Mourinho - their Premiership winning year.

After being part of the victorious Nigerian team at the Under-17 World Championships in Japan (1993), Babayaro made his international senior debut in the Afro-Asian Championship in 1995, against Uzbekistan. The following year he was part of the Nigeria Olympic gold medal winning team at the Atlanta 96 football event, making the tournament's all-star team. He scored in the Gold Medal game itself against Argentina. After missing the entire 1997/98 Premier League season with a knee injury, Babayaro recovered just in time to make the France 98 squad. He was also Nigeria's captain at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and took part in the Korea/Japan 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Babayaro was part of Nigeria's squad for the 2004 African Nations Cup in Tunisia, but was controversially sent home, alongside Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Victor Agali for indiscipline. Although never officially announcing his retirement from international football, he has not played for the national team ever since.


VIDEO


www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTIT3m3AfFM

Stats by Nakayama, updated by Interista93

Name: Celestine Hycieth Babayaro




Country: Nigeria
Club: Chelsea F.C.
Position: *SB
Number: 3
Side: LF/LS
Age: 20-22 years (29/08/1978)

Height: 176 cm
Weight: 68 kg


Attack: 74
Defence: 64
Balance: 74
Stamina: 83
Top Speed: 87
Acceleration: 86
Response: 77
Agility: 84
Dribble Accuracy: 81
Dribble Speed: 85
Short Pass Accuracy: 78
Short Pass Speed: 77
Long Pass Accuracy: 82
Long Pass Speed: 82
Shot Accuracy: 66
Shot Power: 82
Shot Technique: 63
Free Kick Accuracy: 63
Curling: 70
Header: 79
Jump: 85
Technique: 79
Aggression: 83
Mentality: 72
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 74

Injury Tolerance: B
Condition: 5
Weak Foot Accuracy: 3
Weak Foot Frequency: 3
Consistency: 5
Growth type: Early/Peak

CARDS:
P07 - Early Cross
S10 - Slide Tackle

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Side - Sliding

Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Balanced


INFO:
Babayaro is a former left-back. His career started in 1994 at Anderlecht. Three years later, he transferred to Chelsea where he made 197 appearances between 1997 and 2004, scoring 8 goals. He then played for Newcastle United until 2007. He retired one year later after signing for LA Galaxy but without playing. He represented Nigeria 27 times between 1995 and 2004.
Babayaro was a fast left-back, gifted with stamina, quick footwork, good technical qualities, crossing ability, notable jump and solid heading. He was known for his offensive prowess but he never ignored his defensive duties. He wasn't always effective in the back but he could rely on good slide tackles, helped by his quickness that enhanced his timing.