Sacko: Hadi

2016-Current (Leeds Player Details) (Player Details)

Winger/Striker

Born: Corbeil-Essonnes, Paris, France: 24-03-1994

Debut: Queens Park Rangers (a) (substitute): 07-08-2016

6' 12st 6lb (2015)

Like his new teammate Toumani Diagouraga, Sacko was born and grew up in the Corbeil-Essonnes suburb of Paris, the son of Malian immigrants. His early Junior career was spent with the local team, Corbeil-Essonne before moving to CS Bretigny in 2006 and there started to gain recognition and went on to play for the French Under-Sixteen team, scoring once in three appearances. He spent the final two years of his Junior career with Bordeaux, where he gained two caps for the French Under- Eighteen team. Both games were against Germany, the first as a substitute in the eighty-first minute when he replaced Larry Azouni of Olympique Nimes at the Nonnenholz Municipal Sports Centre at Weil-on-Rhine on 20th March 2012 in a 0-2 defeat, and followed that by starting the game two days later, and scoring in injury time at the end of the first half to make the score 2-2, in a game at Elzstadion, Mosbach, which France went on to win 3-2, and in which he played seventy-five minutes before being replaced by Yassine Benzia of LOSC Lille. He would later extend that record to seven appearances, in which he scored three goals. He signed professional forms for FC Girondins Bordeaux in July 2012. He was only eighteen when he made his professional debut on 20th September 2012 as a seventy-fifth -minute replacement for former Newcastle forward Henri Saivet as Bordeaux beat Club Brugge 4-0 in the first group game of the UEFA Europa League. He went on to make five substitute appearances and was twice unused on the bench, in that competition as Bordeaux reached to last sixteen before being eliminated by Benfica. He made his Ligue One debut as a eighty-second minute substitute for Yoan Gouffran, in a 2-0 away win at Stade Rennais FC on 12th January 2013 and went on to feature for times from the bench and was unused on nine other occasions. In the Coupe de France, after sitting unused on the bench once, he started on the left wing in the away game at US Raon-l'Etape, on 27th February 2013, which was won 5-3 on penalties, but was replaced at half-time by Nicolas Maurice-Belay. In the League Cup he was once unused on the bench. Also in the 2012-13 season, he played seven times for the French Under- Nineteen team. He made his debut when he played a full game on the right wing at the Stade de la Fontenette in Carouge, Switzerland and it was his assist that made the only game of the game for Kevin Rodrigues in the eighty-first minute. He went on to start three times and came on as a substitute in four more and was once unused on the bench. He would later take his record to two goals in ten appearances for the Under-Nineteens. In the following season of 2013-14 he continued with Bordeaux, twice starting in the Europa League, in both of the games against Maccabi Tel Aviv. He played on the Right Wing in the home leg on 3rd October 2013, before being substituted at half time as he made way for Ludovic Obraniak in the 1-2 defeat. He played a full game on the Right Wing in the 0-1 away loss on 12th December 2013 and also came on twice as a substitute in both legs of the games with Apoel Nicosia. However, in the Ligue One he got very little game time making five short substitute appearances and sitting unused on the bench in six others. He did, however start once in the first round of the Coupe de France in a 2-1 win at US Raon-l'Etape on 5th January 2014 and played seventy-nine minutes before being replaced by David Bellion. There was also a one minute appearance as a substitute for Nicolas Maurice-Belay in the Trophee des Champions in the 1-2 defeat by Paris St Germain on 3rd August 2013. He was loaned out to Ligue 2 side Le Havre on 15th January 2014, in order to gain playing time under match conditions. He made his debut as a seventieth minute substitue for Mickael Le Bihan on 24th January 2014 in a 1-2 defeat at home by FC Chamois Niort and then started on the Right Wing in the next game in a 2-3 away loss to AS Nancy- Lorraine on 3rd February 2014, when he played sixty-six minutes before being replaced by Harisson Manzala. He went on to start thirteen games and came off the bench in five others before the end of the season, when his loan period ceased. He twice scored two goals for Le Havre, the first in a 2-1 away win at FCO Dijon on 14th March 2014 when he scored both their goals, in the twenty -fifth minute to equalise and two minutes to half time, when he got what proved to be the winner. His second double came in his final game for Le Havre in a 2-1 home win over AC Arles-Avignon on 16th May 2014, with goals in the forty-seventh and fifty-third minute to give Le Havre a 2-0 lead. Those goals were the only four he managed while at Le Havre. While at Le Havre he represented the French Under-Twenty team when he started on the Right Wing in a 1-1 draw with the Ukraine Under-Twenty-one team at Stade Marcel Roustan in Salon-de-Provence and he played seventy-one minutes before he was replaced by Gaetan Laborde (Bordeaux) on 5th March 2014. He later went on to score once in ten appearances fror the Under-Twenty team. He had returned to Bordeaux from his loan to Le Havre and played two minimal substitute appearance for them in the Ligue One in early August 2014, when he was sold to Sporting CP of Lisbon on 31st August 2014 for £850,000. He mainly played for the Sporting reserve team in the Ledman Liga Pro League. He made his debut for them in that League on 13th September 2014 when he started in a 0-0 home draw with Portimonense SC and played seventy-one minutes before being replaced by Gelson Martins. He went on to start fifteen and come on as a substitute in sixteen and sat three times unused on the bench in his first season of 2014-15. He also scored seven goals in those appearances, his first goals coming in his fifth appearance for the team, when he scored in the sixtieth and seventy-third minutes to give his side a 2-0 lead in a game that they went on to win 3-0 at Academico Viseu FC on 19th October 2014, before being substituted by Lewis Enoh in the seventy-fifth minute. He went on to net seven times for them in the season with further goals at Clube Oriental Lissabon in a 4-3 away win on 7th December 2014, when he scored in the fifty-first minute to give his side a 2-1 lead before being substituted by Sambinha with five minutes on the clock. In the very next game he gave his side a 2-0 lead in a 2-1 home win over Porto "B" on 13th December 2014. On 11th Janury 2015 he opened the scoring in the twenty-first minute of a 1-2 defeat at CS Maritimo B, in a game they went on to lose 1-2, and he was substituted in the sixty-first minute by Cristian Ponde. His sixth goal came on 25th January 2015, when, after coming on in the seventy-seventh minute for Daniel Podence, he scored five minutes later to make the score 5-2 in a game they went on to win 5-3 at home to SC Farense. His seventh goal came in a 3-2 home win over SC Beira-Mar when he got the winner one minute into stoppage time after he had replaced Ousmane Drame in the seventy-first minute. He did play four games in the Taca CTT tournament for the first team, making his debut for them on 29th December 2014 in a 2-0 win at Vitoria Guimaraes SC, when he came on in the sixty-fourth minute as a substitute for Daniel Podence. He similarly made three other substitute appearances in that competition. In the 2015-16 season, Sacko played with the Sporting CP "B" team and started eight times, came on as a substitute in fifteen and also remained unused on the bench three times. He scored three goals for them at that level, on 4th November 2014 he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 win at UD Oliveirense in the eighty-second minute after coming on at half- time for Diogo Salomao. The next game on 8th November 2014, he started at Centre Forward in a 4-2 home win over FC Penafiel and opened the scoring after five minutes, before being substituted in the sixty-sixth minute by Diogo Salomao and after starting in his final match on the Left Wing on 17th January 2016 in a 1-1 home draw with CD Mafra, he equalised in the twelfth minute and was later replaced on the hour by Luis Eloi. On 1st February 2016 he was loaned to French Ligue Two side, FC Sochaux-Montbeliard, for the rest of the season. He made his League debut on 5th February 2016 in a 1-2 home defeat by Red Star 93, as a sixty-first minute substitute for Yanis Mbombo. His second appearance was in the Coupe de France on 9th February in a 2-1 home win over AS Monaco, when he started on the Right Wing and scored in the fifty-fourth minute for his side's winning goal. He also started in a second game at Centre Forward against FC Nantes in the same competition. His starting League debut came on 12th February 2016 in a 2-2 draw at FCO Dijon in which he played a full game at centre forward. He did score one League goal for FC Sochaux-Montbeliard, in his penultimate League game for the club on 6th May 2016, in a 2-0 away win at AC Ajaccio, which he started on the Right Wing and he scored the opening goal three minutes before half time before being substituted by Moussa Sao in the sixty-fourth minute. He started ten and came on as a substitute twice in Ligue Two during the loan spell. On 5 July 2016, he joined Leeds United on a season long loan, with a view to a permanent transfer. Leeds are optimistic that Sacko would be available for a more realistic fee, around the mark of £1m which Sporting paid when he moved to Portugal from Bordeuax in 2014. He had previously been seen with the club's pre-season training party on their Irish Tour. Comfortable playing on either wing, in a central role or as an attacking midfielder, Sacko is described as a skillful player who is bursting with acceleration and natural pace. Sacko has worked with United’s players in Ireland and he look likely to make his first appearance for the club in their opening pre-season friendly at Shelbourne in Dublin on 13th July 2016.The French winger had been very highly rated when he signed for Sporting Lisbon from Bordaux in 2014 and was signed on a six year contract, which means that the Twenty-two year old is contracted to Lisbon until 2020. However, his time in Portugal has been particularly disappointing, and earlier this year he explained his frustration, shortly after being sent on loan to French side Sochaux. When he was quoted in a Portuguese Football Magazine as saying, "Things dragged on [with contract talks at Bordeaux, I was disappointed, so I accepted the proposal of Sporting. I take responsibility for that choice and do not regret it. Now, I do not hide it, it has not been as expected. Still, it has made me grow and I have not lost hope to impose myself there. My progress was delayed, but I'm not dead." He added that when he signed with Sporting, he had no inkling he would be sent to play for the B Team, instead of the first team squad. Sacko added: "If I had known ... No one told me. Perhaps there is someone better than me. At the beginning, I admit I had some difficulties regarding the language, but I adapted." In total he made only four appearances for Sporting's first team, playing fifty-four times for their "B" Team instead, scoring ten goals. His spell on loan at Sochaux was more productive, playing fourteen times for the first team after signing on loan in January, netting twice, but was at least back to playing more competitive football. Before signing with Sporting he was a French youth international, representing his country and under-sixteen, under-eighteen, under- nineteen and under-twenty levels, along side many other young rising French stars. On 5 July 2016, he became United's third signing of the season when he joined them on a season long loan, with a view to a possible subsequent permanent transfer. Whether a move to Leeds was the answer is anybody's guess, but it was clear Sacko needed to get his career back on track by playing regularly, and the Whites were in a good position to provide him with that opportunity to rebuild his career. He joined the Leeds squad for their pre-season tour of Ireland and was given a place in the first choice starting line up for the first game against Shelbourne on 13th July 2016 and, like the rest of the eleven, he was given sixty minutes before being replaced by the second eleven for the final half hour. He made a good impression in the allotted time, scoring United's second goal after thirteen minutes as they ran out 2-1 winners. He started in the second eleven in the second game against Shamrock Rovers three days later when a similar situation prevailed but he came on for Kemar Roofe at half-time as United ran out 3-0 winners at the Tallaght Stadium. He played a full game in the 1-2 defeat by Peterborough United at London Road on 23rd July 2016, but was on the bench in United's final pre-season game in the 2-1 victory over the Serie A side Atalanta at Elland Road a week later. He came on as a half-time replacement for Stuart Dallas and impressed enough to be included on the bench for United's opening game of the season at Loftus Road in a 0-3 defeat by Queens Park Rangers on 7th August 2016, making his debut as a substitute for Kemar Roofe in the seventy-fifth minute. He made his starting debut three days later in the League Cup at Fleetwood Town as United won through on penalties and he was replaced by Alex Mowatt after sixty-five minutes. He made his starting League debut in the 1-2 home defeat on 13th August 2016 by Birmingham City and he scored his first goal for United as he levelled the scores after twenty-seven minutes and played a full game. It was not sufficient for him to keep his place in the starting eleven in the 1-1 home draw with Fulham three days later, but he did start on the bench and replaced Kemar Roofe after seventy-eight minutes. He was recalled for the 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday on 20th August 2016 and played all but three minutes before being replaced by Kalvin Phillips. Like many regulars, he was rested to the bench for the 1-0 away victory at Luton Town in the League Cup three days later and sat there unused, but was back in the starting eleven for the 1-3 defeat at Nottingham Forest on 27th August 2016 and played seventy minutes before being replaced by Kemar Roofe. Throughout the 2016-17 season he played on a regular basis starting twenty-eight League games and came from the bench on ten occasions. He also was a substitute in one F.A. Cup tie and started two and came off the bench once in the League Cup. Apart from the goal at Birmingham City he only found the net on one other occasion, and that was United's second goal in the twenty-third minute in a 4-1 win at Deepdale over Preston North End on Boxing Day. On 2nd June 2017, Leeds triggered the option to buy which had been part of the loan agreement for his one season loan from Sporting Lisbon. He was signed for an undisclosed fee and on a three year contract. He found it hard to force his way into the starting eleven and managed just one start in each of the competitions. His only start in the Championship came at Elland Road on 7th March 2018 when Wolverhampton Wanderers gave United a 0-3 hammering and he was withdrawn at half -time and replaced by Pablo Hernandez. In the F.A. Cup he played a full ninety minutes. In the League Cup he started once and came off the bench twice and opened the scoring in the eightieth minute in the 7-5 win after a penalty shoot-out over Burnley at Turf Moor on 19th September 2018, after replacing Cameron Borthwick-Jackson on the hour. Sako had become a Mali International in the 2017-18 season, making his debut in a 1-1 draw with Japan at the Maurice Dufrasne Stadion in Lege Belgium in a Friendly International on 23rd March 2018, when he replaced Moussa Djenepo after sixty minutes. He again came on as a late replacement for the same player just five minutes before time on 12th October 2018 at the Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali, in a 0-0 draw with Burundi. Four days later he was unused on the bench as the same two teams played a 1-1 draw at Stade du Prince Louis Rwagasore, Bujumbura, Burundi. On 26th July 2018, Sacko was not given a shirt number for Leeds for the 2018–19 season and Marcelo Bielsa had stated that the club had about fifteen players too many, so it came as no surprise when Sacko, on 30th July 2018, joined Segunda Division side UD Las Palmas on a season-long loan from Leeds. He had played four substitute appearances for the club by the end of September 2018, but each was for a limited time and it would not appear that he will seek to return and hope he can impress in the last season of his contract that runs out in the summer of 2020.

(To 2017/18)