Happy birthday HBA.

A bit surprised it hasn't been mentioned, but HBA is 27 today.

1987 Hatem Ben Arfa born, Clamart, France. (2010-present)

Born in the Parisian suburbs of Tunisian parentage, Hatem came to prominence at France's Clairefontaine youth academy (as did United old boy Sebastien Bassong) and signed for Olympique Lyonnais in 2002.

Debuting for France U16s in 2003, his first professional contract followed in 2004 with a senior team debut in August of that year.
A scoring debut for the French senior side came against the Faroes in October 2007.

Ben Arfa exited Lyon in favour of Marseille ahead of the 2008/09 season, following an alleged claimed training ground scuffle with Sébastien Squillaci (later of Arsenal).

Scoring on his debut for Olympique in a 4-4 draw with Rennes, Hatem's time at the Stade Velodrome was punctuated by fallouts with coach Didier Deschamps and by the summer of 2010 an exit looked likely.

First linked with United that July - and initially denied by Chris Hughton - the saga of Ben Arfa dragged on until his eventual signing on loan three games into the new season, at the end of August (our regular updates were headlined "Arfa Daily"...)

Going on strike at one point and flying to Newcastle in an apparent bid to force his parent club to reconsider United's offer, a deal to sell Ben Arfa to Werder Bremen bit the dust and eventually a season-long loan deal saw the player head to SJP.

Debuting as a second half substitute at home to Blackpool the following month, he got off the mark in spectacular style with the winning goal at Everton a week later.

In just his fourth United game though, he was stretchered off after just seven minutes of the game at Manchester City - a victim of a tackle from Nigel De Jong that broke the Frenchman's left leg in two places.

January 2011 brought confirmation that a permanent deal had been agreed between United and Marseille, Hatem becoming Alan Pardew's first acquisition when he signed a four and a half year deal.

He returned to action just under a year after his injury at Nottingham Forest in the League Cup and although Premier League appearances were mainly from the bench he scored a staggering solo effort against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup during January 2012.

That was described by Pardew as: "..the greatest goal, in my opinion, I have ever seen with my eyes because just the technical part of it - to beat six players, to skip past people, left-foot, right-foot, cut-back, accelerate, everything that was involved in it."

Finding the net six times for United that season, Ben Arfa then appeared twice for France in the Euro 2012 Finals.

That national service saw him make a delayed return to action in pre-season, but he hit the ground running with goals in our opening two home league games.

Hamstring problems caused him to miss four matches before what looked like a risky comeback at Fulham in early December saw Ben Arfa net a beauty but also fail to finish the game after aggravating his ailment.

Returning from a four month injury layoff against Anzhi Makhachkala in the Europa League during in March 2013, Hatem had a run in the side that belatedly secured top flight status in their penultimate game - scoring a penalty in that win at QPR.

Scoring in back to back wins over Fulham and Aston Villa early the following season, a chunky-looking Ben Arfa struggled for both form and fitness and gradually found himself eased out of United's starting XI.

The sale of Yohan Cabaye early in 2014 looked like handing him a route back into the side, but due to an apparent breakdown in relations with Pardew that didn't materialise - amid some dubious injury claims and a distinct lack of news on contract talks.

As far away from a return to the French squad France as he is from fulfilling a 2013 pledge to win the Ballon d'Or, Ben Arfa's departure from SJP now seems inevitable.

 

where will he be for his 28th?
not here by the looks of it

Happy Birthday

 

Wouldn't think so.

 

Bon anniversaire hatem!

 

Blimey how wrong was I, I thought he was about 23, well what an anti climatic player he has been

 

He's been Pardewed that's all.

 

honestly im shocked, I thought he was 22-23 and had loads of potential but 27, meh, he's not done much in reality, I doubt you lot would be gutted if he left

 

We will remember his moments of genius fondly but wish him well and thank him for the memories.

 

We will remember his moments of genius fondly but wish him well and thank him for the memories.

 

Think back to the Man City game where de Jong almost snapped his leg off and it'll give you a better idea of how old he is.

 

Happy Birthday fat boy

 

Massively. Pardew has tried every which way (bar nutting him) to get him to be a professional, but the lad won't change. He seemed to get a response from him with some clever management and he threatened to finally realise his potential. Then he slipped back to his old ways. Excuse after excuse is made for him, the "Pardewed" one the most popular but the reality is he just isn't all that.

 

He put a good shift in against Palace, he has got it in him to graft a bit.

 

But he needs to graft regularly fella.

 

He does need to ACS. I don't buy all this "he's a flair player, you have to find a way to accommodate them". Its a load of horseshit. Good managers don't adapt to suit a player, top players adapt to suit them. Even then it doesn't always work out. The days are gone where you can be a Le Tissier. Talented but frustratingly lazy. HBA loses possession all the time, its a killer in the modern game. Even the most talented players put a shift in every week.

If he was good for 20 goals a season then you could make some sort of case. In his very best form he'd be good for about 7 or 8!

 

True enough.