- Name: Demba Ba
- Nationality: French
- Date of Birth: 25/05/1985
- Height: 189 cm
- Weight: 84.7 kg
- Previous Clubs: Newcastle, West Ham, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
- Position: Striker
Demba Ba signed
on 4 January 2013 for an undisclosed fee.
The Senegal
international moved to Stamford Bridge following an 18-month spell with
Newcastle United, and signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the Blues.
He was eligible
to play in the FA Cup and Capital One Cup in his first season here, but could
not play for us in the Europa League having appeared in the competition for
Newcastle.
The 27-year-old
enjoyed a memorable time on Tyneside, where his ruthlessness in front of goal
played a major part in last season's fifth-place league finish.
Most
comfortable playing as a lone striker, Ba's predatory instincts in and around
the penalty area make him a difficult player to handle and he also possesses
the ability to score spectacular goals.
Born in Sevres,
in the suburbs of Paris, Ba's career began at Port Autonome du Havre, where he
played for two years between 1998 and 2000, before moving to Frileuse.
After a short
spell with the French club, Ba, who started out playing in the centre of
midfield but moved up front at the age of 18, transferred to Montrouge in 2001.
It was there he
began to make a name for himself, and he then headed to England where he was
offered trials with Barnsley and Watford.
Having enjoyed
a fruitful relationship with former Chelsea player Ray Lewington, who was Watford
manager at the time, it looked as though Ba had found a place to settle.
However, when
Lewington left soon after, Ba moved back to France where he signed a one-year
deal with Rouen in the Third Division.
A return of
seven goals in 32 matches earned him a move to Mouscron, in the Belgian top
flight, where an impressive albeit short spell paved the way for his transfer
to 1899 Hoffenheim in the German Second Division at the beginning of the
2007/08 campaign.
It was to prove
a significant time in Ba's development, and he was a key figure in helping the
club gain promotion to the Bundesliga.
Their first
season back in the top flight saw Hoffenheim finish in a respectable seventh,
aided in no small part by Ba's 14 goals.
In January
2011, he was back in England, and signed for West Ham United.
After making
his bow for the Hammers as a substitute in a game against Birmingham City, Ba
endeared himself to the supporters a week later on his full debut, where his
two goals helped West Ham fight back from 3-0 down to earn a 3-3 draw away at
West Bromwich Albion.
On a personal
level, his time at Upton Park went well, with seven goals in 12 appearances,
but collectively the team underperformed resulting in their relegation from the
Barclays Premier League, prompting Ba's move to Newcastle United.
He netted two
hat-tricks in quick succession, against Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City, at the
beginning of the 2011/12 season.
This impressive
start to life at St James's Park was rewarded with the Premier League Player of
the Month award in December 2011, and he finished the season as the club's top
scorer with 16 goals to his name.
The 2012/13
campaign saw Ba continue where he left off, as he broke the deadlock with a
fantastic volley against Tottenham Hotspur on the opening day of the season,
while shortly after his brace at Goodison Park helped Alan Pardew's men secure
a well-earned 2-2 draw against Everton.
His last
performance in a Newcastle shirt came in their final game of 2012, a 7-3 defeat
against Arsenal at the Emirates where he netted a brace.
Ba has
established himself as a regular in the Senegal international set-up since
scoring on his debut back in 2007 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against
Tanzania.
He is the first
Senegalese player to join Chelsea.
Ba made his
Chelsea debut in an FA Cup third round tie away at Southampton, and it proved
an introduction to remember as he scored twice in a 5-1 win for the Blues.
He scored his
first home goal for the club 11 days later in a Premier League game against the
same opposition, opening the scoring in a 2-2 draw.
Ba suffered a
broken nose on his return to St James' Park as the Blues fell to a 3-2 defeat
in February.
It was a
solitary Ba goal which secured our place in the FA Cup semi-finals, when a
well-taken volley helped us overcome Manchester United in a sixth-round replay.
He was on
target again at Wembley, but unfortunately his goal couldn't prevent us from
falling to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City.
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