Yaya Sanogo calls out Middlesbrough for ‘halting his career’ as he thought of quitting age 27

Yaya Sanogo calls out Middlesbrough for ‘halting his career’ as he thought of quitting football age 27, he says in an interview.

He has publicly revealed that there was a medical misdiagnosis with the Championship outfit that halted his career and made him consider retiring.

Yaya expressed disappointment that the club’s actions stalled his progress and made other clubs believe he was injured, which impacted his career significantly.

« Je devais signer à Middlesbrough mais ils m’inventent une blessure à l’épaule… »
🚨 la vidéo est en ligne !

Carrière atypique pour Yaya Sanogo cet ancien espoir français. Tout pour comprendre que seul le talent ne suffit.

Abonnez-vous et likez 🙏https://t.co/85Nj6r192E pic.twitter.com/2FIRWSJLuP

— Mohamed (@MohaBezzouaoui) April 5, 2023

Boro have pulled the plug on a move for Yaya Sanogo due to concerns over the striker’s fitness. [@footyinsider247]

📸: Getty pic.twitter.com/VTGWjOi8r1

— EverythingMFC (@EverythingMFC) September 11, 2020

Neil Warnock confirms former #AFC hero Yaya Sanogo will not be making a return to English football with Middlesbrough.

“It is one of those things, it is not going to be and we move on. You get situations like that,” he said of a move for the free agent.

— Mark Mann-Bryans (@MarkyMBryans) September 11, 2020

Per Eurosport, he was asked: “Have you had any refusals from clubs during medical visits because of old injuries?:

To which the player’s response was: “In 2020, I was supposed to sign for Middlesbrough, all the details of the contract were tied up. It was at the time of Covid, after my three seasons at Toulouse. I spent 14 days in quarantine without being able to meet anyone.

“Once this period was over, I did the visit. They supposedly detected a problem with my shoulder that required an operation and 3 months of rehabilitation, according to them. So my contract… It was serious, it was hard. I went to see a shoulder specialist once I got home.

“They told me that I had nothing at all and that they had put it on the wrong way. That stopped me in my tracks, for the other clubs, I was injured. The worst part of all this was that the press wrote that I had failed the medical. So, the other clubs that were interested believed it and that stopped me completely. I was 27 at the time.”

The interviewer asks: “Have you ever thought about giving up?”

Sonogo responds: “Yes, of course, we are human after all. I sometimes told myself that it was dead. When I was 16, I was told that the attack of the French team, a few years later, would be Benzema and Sanogo.

“But, I am a believer, I could not stop, I wanted to go to the end of the story. There were times when it was very very hard.

“At Auxerre, I thought about it but I never gave up. It made me grow on the field and in my life. Those periods of time when I could not play, when I was injured, between us, how many would have stopped?”

The interviewer says: “Listening to you talk about your career, we get the impression that despite the injuries and the periods without playing, you remain very proud of your journey.”

He says: “Yes, that’s the case. Despite the ups and downs, I’m proud of having been mentally strong. After my double fracture in Auxerre, I was given the nickname “Phoenix”, I didn’t make it up. Having the strength to come back after the struggles… “What are you doing Yaya, have you stopped?” No, I’m here!”

On being under contract in China until next November with the Qingdao Red Lions, and what’s next, Sanogo adds: “There are a few clubs that are interested during this transfer window. I’m 31, it’s true that I’ve had a few struggles, but I feel as fresh as a daisy (laughs)!

“Today, I want to have fun, enjoy myself on the pitch. The project that will be the most interesting, on a sporting and financial level, I’m going for it.

“In Europe, Asia or elsewhere, I’m really open to all proposals. It’s the club’s project that drives me. When you see what I did in Armenia (in 2022 and 2023 at FC Urartu Yerevan) and in China, I know that I have a lightning-fast ability to adapt.

“And today, there is no more time to adapt, you have to be ready right away. And since I was little, I’ve always been.”

HIS CAREER:

Youth
2005–2006 – Les Ulis
2006–2010 – Auxerre

Senior
2009–2012 – Auxerre B – 31 games (15 goals)
2010–2013 – Auxerre – 21 games (11) goals
2013–2017 – Arsenal – 11 games (0 goals)
2015 → Crystal Palace (loan) – 10 games (0 goals)
2015–2016 → Ajax (loan) – 3 games (0 goals)
2015 → Jong Ajax (loan) – 3 games (0 goals)
2016 → Charlton Athletic (loan) – 8 games (3 goals)
2017–2020 – Toulouse – 63 games (12 goals)
2021 – Huddersfield Town – 9 games (0 goals)
2023–2024 – Urartu – 15 games (6 goals)
2024– Qingdao Red Lions – 5 games (2 goals)

International
2008–2009 – France U16 – 18 games (18 goals)
2009–2010 – France U17 – 16 games (9 goals)
2010–2011 – France U19 – 9 games (2 goals)
2013 – France U20 – 10 games (5 goals)
2011–2014 – France U21 – 8 games (5 goals)