James Léa Siliki
{{short description|Cameroonian footballer (born 1996)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = James Léa Siliki
| fullname = James-Edward Manfred Léa Siliki{{Cite web |title=EFL squad list 2021/22 & U21 registered contracted players |url=https://www.efl.com/contentassets/d88a33a7ea89412c81933211703ad287/squad-list-publication-report-2021-22---07.02.2022.pdf |access-date=12 February 2022 |publisher=English Football League}}
| image = Saint-Lô - Rennes CFA2 20160409 - James Lea Siliki 03.jpg
| caption = Léa Siliki with Rennes in 2016
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|6|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = Sarcelles, France
| height = 1.83 m
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Gloria Buzău
| clubnumber = 17
| youthyears1 = 2002–2004
| youthclubs1 = RC Gonesse
| youthyears2 = 2004–2011
| youthclubs2 = Paris Saint-Germain
| youthyears3 = 2011–2014
| youthclubs3 = Guingamp
| years1 = 2014
| clubs1 = Guingamp B
| caps1 = 3
| goals1 = 1
| years2 = 2014–2020
| clubs2 = Rennes B
| caps2 = 56
| goals2 = 11
| years3 = 2017–2022
| clubs3 = Rennes
| caps3 = 84
| goals3 = 3
| years4 = 2021–2022
| clubs4 = → Middlesbrough (loan)
| caps4 = 11
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2022–2023
| clubs5 = Estoril
| caps5 = 22
| goals5 = 3
| years6 = 2024
| clubs6 = Gençlerbirliği
| caps6 = 9
| goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2025–
| clubs7 = Gloria Buzău
| caps7 = 4
| goals7 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2014
| nationalteam1 = France U19
| nationalcaps1 = 3
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2021–2022
| nationalteam2 = Cameroon
| nationalcaps2 = 11
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| club-update = 11 April 2025
| nationalteam-update = 3 February 2022
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's football}}
{{MedalCountry|{{fb|CMR}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{Medal|3rd|2021 Cameroon|}}
}}
James-Edward Manfred Léa Siliki (born 12 June 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liga I club Gloria Buzău. Born in France, he represented Cameroon at international level.
Early life
Léa Siliki was born in Sarcelles, France, to Cameroonian parents.{{cite web |title=James Léa Siliki, une faim de lion |url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/james-lea-siliki-une-faim-de-lion-2808911 |website=Ouest-France.fr|date=5 September 2014 }} He acquired French nationality on 18 November 1998, through the collective effect of his parents' naturalization.{{Cite web |title=JORF n° 0269 du 20 novembre 1998 - Légifrance |url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/jo/1998/11/20/0269 |access-date=2023-11-29 |website=legifrance.gouv.fr |page=17546 |language=fr |format=PDF}}
Club career
Léa Siliki made his Ligue 1 debut with Rennes on 28 January 2017 against Nantes, replacing Aldo Kalulu after 78 minutes.{{cite web|url=http://www.lfp.fr/ligue1/feuille_match/82012|title=Rennes 1 - 1 FC Nantes|accessdate=28 January 2017|language=fr}}
On 31 August 2021, Léa Siliki joined EFL Championship club Middlesbrough on loan for the duration of the 2021–22 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.mfc.co.uk/news/james-lea-siliki-arrives-on-loan|title=James Léa Siliki Arrives On Loan|website=www.mfc.co.uk|date=31 August 2021|accessdate=3 May 2022}} Having not played a single minute since the manager who had brought Léa Siliki to Teesside, Neil Warnock, had been replaced by Chris Wilder, the midfielder was told by Wilder that he could leave the club during the January transfer window.{{cite web|url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/didnt-work-lea-siliki-middlesbrough-22760942|title=What went wrong for James Lea Siliki at Middlesbrough, as midfielder told he can leave|publisher=TeessideLive|last1=Johns|first1=Craig|date=15 January 2022|accessdate=3 May 2022}} His return to action came in February 2022, being replaced at half-time during a 3–2 defeat to struggling Barnsley.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60441699|title=Barnsley 3–2 Middlesbrough|publisher=BBC Sport|date=26 February 2022|accessdate=3 May 2022}}
On 22 July 2022, Léa Siliki signed for Primeira Liga club Estoril on a three-year contract.{{Cite web |date=22 July 2022 |title=OFICIAL: Estoril reforça meio-campo com camaronês Lea Siliki |url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/estoril/liga/oficial-estoril-reforca-meio-campo-com-camarones-lea-siliki |access-date=22 July 2022 |website=Maisfutebol |language=pt}} On 1 September 2023, Estoril announced that Léa Siliki's contract had been terminated by mutual agreement, after he had been frozen out of the squad by manager Álvaro Pacheco.{{Cite web |date=1 September 2023 |title=Léa-Siliki rescindiu por mútuo acordo (Estoril) |trans-title=Léa-Siliki terminated by mutual agreement (Estoril) |url=https://www.abola.pt/nnh/2023-09-01/estoril-lea-siliki-rescindiu-por-mutuo-acordo/https%3a%2f%2fwww.abola.pt%2fnnh%2f2023-09-01%2festoril-lea-siliki-rescindiu-por-mutuo-acordo%2f1002660 |access-date=3 September 2023 |publisher=A Bola |language=pt-PT}}
On 9 February 2024, Siliki signed with Gençlerbirliği in Turkey until the end of the 2023–24 season.{{cite web|publisher=Gençlerbirliği|url=https://genclerbirligi.org.tr/james-lea-siliki-genclerbirligimizde/|title=JAMES LEA SİLİKİ GENÇLERBİRLİĞİ'MİZDE|trans-title=JAMES LEA SILIKI AT GENÇLERBIRLIĞI|date=10 February 2024|access-date=10 February 2024|language=tr}}
International career
He played for the France U19 national team in 2014. He debuted with the senior Cameroon national team in a 1–0 friendly win over Nigeria on 4 June 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://globalsportsarchive.com/match/soccer/2021-06-04/nigeria-vs-cameroon/2378900/|title=Match Report of Nigeria vs Cameroon - 2021-06-04 - FIFA Friendlies - Global Sports Archive|website=globalsportsarchive.com}}
Personal life
In March 2022, Léa Siliki was subjected to racist abuse on Instagram after posting a celebration of Cameroon's qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/middlesbrough-james-siliki-racist-abuse-23552695|title=Middlesbrough loanee James Lea Siliki subjected to vile racist abuse on Instagram|publisher=Teesside Live|last1=Johns|first1=Craig|date=31 March 2022|accessdate=3 May 2022}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 11 April 2025}}{{Soccerway|james-edward-lea-siliki/336068}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup !colspan="2"|League cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||||
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guingamp B
|3 | 1 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 3 | 1 | |||||
| rowspan=8|Rennes B
|CFA 2 |9 | 1 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 9 | 1 | |||||
| 2015–16
|CFA 2 |20 | 2 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 20 | 2 | |||||
| 2016–17
|CFA |21 | 7 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 21 | 7 | |||||
| 2017–18
|1 | 1 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 2018–19
|4 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 4 | 0 | |||||
| 2019–20
|National 3 |0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 2020–21
|National 3 |1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 1 | 0 | |||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!56 | 11 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 56 | 11 | |||||
| rowspan="7" |Rennes
|1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18
|Ligue 1 |32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 36 | 3 | |||
| 2018–19
|Ligue 1 |24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6{{efn|name=UEL|Appearances in UEFA Europa League}} | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20
|Ligue 1 |20 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3{{efn|name=UEL}} | 0 | 1{{efn|name=TDC|Appearance in Trophée des Champions}} | 0 | 29 | 1 | |
| 2020–21
|Ligue 1 |7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 4{{efn|name=UCL|Appearances in UEFA Champions League}} | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22
|Ligue 1 |0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 0 | 0 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!84 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 113 | 4 | |
| Middlesbrough (loan)
|11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 11 | 0 | ||||
| rowspan="3" |Estoril
|22 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 25 | 4 | |||
| 2023–24
|Primeira Liga |0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 0 | 0 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!22 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 25 | 4 | |||
| Gençlerbirliği
|9 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 9 | 0 | |||||
| Gloria Buzău
|4 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 4 | 0 | |||||
| colspan="3" |Career total
!189 | 18 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 221 | 20 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
{{updated|match played 3 February 2022}}{{NFT player|82765}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="3"|Cameroon | |||
| 2021 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | |
| colspan=2|Total||11||0 |
Honours
Rennes B
Rennes
- Coupe de France: 2018–19
- Trophée des Champions runner-up: 2019
Cameroon
- Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2021{{Cite web|last=AfricaNews|date=2022-02-06|title=Cameroon beats Burkina Faso to end AFCON 2021 in third place|url=https://www.africanews.com/2022/02/06/cameroon-beats-burkina-faso-to-end-afcon-2021-in-third-place/|access-date=2022-02-06|website=Africanews|language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{LFP|lea-siliki-james-edward-1}}
- {{Soccerway|james-edward-lea-siliki/336068|J. Lea Siliki}}
- {{FFF player|7780-lea-siliki-james|James Léa-Siliki}}
- {{FFF male player|2328109102|James Edward Léa-Siliki|archive=20190418050456}}
{{FC Gloria Buzău squad}}
{{Cameroon squad 2021 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lea Siliki, James}}
Category:Footballers from Sarcelles
Category:Black French sportspeople
Category:Cameroonian men's footballers
Category:21st-century Cameroonian sportsmen
Category:Cameroon men's international footballers
Category:Naturalized citizens of France
Category:French men's footballers
Category:France men's youth international footballers
Category:French sportspeople of Cameroonian descent
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:En Avant Guingamp players
Category:Stade Rennais FC players
Category:Middlesbrough F.C. players
Category:G.D. Estoril Praia players
Category:Gençlerbirliği S.K. footballers
Category:FC Gloria Buzău players
Category:Championnat National 2 players
Category:Championnat National 3 players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Primeira Liga players
Category:2021 Africa Cup of Nations players
Category:Cameroonian expatriate men's footballers
Category:French expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England
Category:Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:French expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal
Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Category:Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey
Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
Category:Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Romania
Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Romania