Perrier-Doumbe, Jean-Joel

Biog

Cameroon international Jean-Joel Pierre-Doumbe wrote his name into Celtic’s history books by scoring the winning goal in the 2007 Scottish Cup final.

Originally signed on a six-month loan deal from French club Rennes on 12th January 2007, the former Auxurre man was brought in as cover for an injury hit defence. But as the Bhoys marched to the championship title opportunities for a first team start were rare, and it was late April before he made his Celtic debut.

However, with Mark Wilson sidelined through injury Pierre-Doumbe was selected for the Scottish Cup final clash with Dunfermline at Hampden in May 2007. He was a surprising hero on the day, as it was his very late goal which secured Celtic a 1-0 victory to seal a league & Scottish Cup double. So he made for himself a worthy mark in Celtic history, and you could see the joy on his face after scoring the goal.

Incredibly, this ended up being the ONLY goal he ever scored in his senior football career in a competitive game at any club! So what a goal to score.

A wrangle with Rennes over the potential transfer fee saw Celtic initially decide not to take up the option of signing the Paris-born player on a permanent basis. Pierre-Doumbe then had an unsuccessful trial with English Championship side Sheffield United before Celtic and Rennes came to a compromise, so the player ended up signing a permanent deal at Parkhead.

The full-back put in some solid if unspectacular performances at the start season 2007/08 before sustaining ankle ligament damage in an important Champions League home win over AC Milan. That injury kept him out of action until the end of the campaign, and he never played for Celtic’s first team again.

At the end of the 2008/09 season, and his contract up, Doumbe decided to leave the club. Gordon Strachan (manager) had left already but Doumbe had been sore that he been given little to next to no opportunity in the first team in the past season after returning from injury. He was also unhappy about not being given a chance to go out on loan by Gordon Strachan.

A sorry end to his time at the club, and we did hope him the best. Did seem not a bad defender at all, and if it wasn’t for that injury and if the manager had been better at squad rotation & man-management (Doumbe wasn’t alone in this predicament) then maybe he could have gone on to do well for Celtic.

He linked up with French Ligue Un club Toulouse in September and signed a two year deal on 6 October 2009. However, that stint was unsuccessful and after just a handful of games with them, he left the club in 2011. Possibly then this proves that Celtic & Strachan had it right that he wouldn’t have made it with Celtic either into the long-run. It was sorry to see, but in retrospect he should have been cut quicker from Celtic, and then maybe both he & Celtic could have benefited more than the hanging on.

We wished him the best.

Playing Career

Club	From	To	Fee	League		Scottish Cup		League cup		Other
Celtic	31/05/2007	30/06/2009	Signed	2 (0)	0	0 (0)	0	0 (0)	0	1 (0)	0
Celtic	25/01/2007	27/05/2007	Loan	3 (1)	0	1 (0)	1	0 (0)	0	0 (0)	0
Rennes	15/07/2004	31/05/2007		No appearance data available
Auxerre	01/07/2001	15/07/2004	Signed	No appearance data available
Totals			£0	5 (1)	0	1 (0)	1	0 (0)	0	1 (0)	0
			goals / game	0		1		n/a		0
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals

Honours with Celtic

Scottish League

• 2006-07, 2007-08

Scottish Cup

• 2007

KDS Honours
MOTM Winners 2006-07
29-Apr-07	Celtic 1 v 3 Hearts	SPL
26-May-07	Celtic 1 v 0 Dunfermline	Scottish Cup
May-07	May-07 Joint Player of the Month

Pictures

• Player Pictures

(The Scotsman newspaper)
Published Date: 25 June 2009

OUTGOING Celtic defender Jean-Joel Perrier-Doumbe has lambasted former manager Gordon Strachan, blaming him for a difficult final season in Glasgow.

Perrier-Doumbe is set to leave the Scottish giants after coming to the end of his contract at Celtic Park and he admits it has been an unhappy experience.

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The former Rennes player was a regular during his loan spell at the club in the first half of 2007, and his performance persuaded Celtic to sign him on a permanent basis that summer.

However, Perrier-Doumbe found himself sidelined shortly after coming back from five months out with an Achilles injury and the 30-year-old has lashed out at his former boss, who resigned last month.

“I have mixed feelings about my time at Celtic,” Perrier-Doumbe told France Football.

“At the beginning, I was a regular starter in the league, in the Champions League, I scored the goal in the Scottish Cup final.

“Everything was going well. Then I got injured against AC Milan in October, I came back fine before the manager gave me a really hard time.

“Last summer, I asked to leave when the club signed Andreas Hinkel. The manager categorically refused. He never played me again.

“Did I annoy him when I asked to leave? I don’t know.

“Anyway, I didn’t understand anything. No-one understood.

“I tried my luck again in January, because I had interest from Norwich and Coventry for loan spells, also in Hungary, at Ujpest!

“Again the manager refused. Outcome – I spent my season on the bench.”

Perrier-Doumbe claims he has several options as he searches for his next club and will take his time making a decision as he bids to get back into the international set-up.

The Cameroon defender won his last cap in 2006 but insists he has not given up hope of making it to the World Cup next year.

“(Greek outfit) Larissa are interested and Freiburg, who have just been promoted into the Bundesliga,” added Perrier-Doumbe.

“In France two Ligue 2 clubs, who are going to be playing for promotion, have made enquiries.

“I’m taking my time. In my heart, I would love to go back to Ligue 1, which I played in with Auxerre and Rennes.

“I don’t want to make the wrong choice, knowing that my primary motivation is to feel useful.

“If I play, I will again become an option for (Cameroon).

“I have already played in the African Nations Cup and the Confederations Cup with Cameroon. To be in the World Cup in 2010 would be massive.”

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