Demba Ba

Demba Ba (born 25 May 1985) is a former professional footballer.

He serves as the chairman of National Independent Soccer Association side Albion San Diego.

He joined the youth section of ES Mont-Gaillard, located in Le Havre, in 1992, before playing for Port Autonome between 1999 and 2000, and then for Frileuse between 2000 and 2001.

In 2001, Ba returned to Châtillon and played for Montrouge.

He played there until 2004, at which point he decided to concentrate on his football.

Later that year, after unsuccessful trials at Lyon and Auxerre, Ba moved to the United Kingdom to seek a professional contract.

He was recommended to Watford manager Ray Lewington through his friend Gauthier Diafutua, then a Watford player, but released shortly after Lewington's dismissal.

Ba then spent a week on trial at Barnsley, and returned to France after two more unsuccessful trials at Football League sides Swansea City and Gillingham.

Ba signed with manager Alain Michel because they were both moving to French club Rouen on a one-year contract, and Ba enjoyed a highly successful season with the club.

He made his first-team debut with French team Rouen in 2005 before moving to Mouscron and then TSG Hoffenheim in Germany in 2007.

Belgian club Mouscron beat off competition from numerous other clubs to win Ba's signature in 2006.

Scoring in each of his first three games, he then picked up fractures in his tibia and fibula, and was out of action between August 2006 and April 2007.

Following his eight-month recovery period he scored seven goals in nine games, and picked up his first international cap.

Born and raised in France, Ba was a full international for Senegal from 2007 to 2015 and represented the country at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

On 13 September 2021, he announced his retirement from football.

Ba was born in Sèvres, Hauts-de-Seine and is the sixth child of seven.

He grew up in Saint-Valery-en-Caux, Seine-Maritime.

On 29 August 2007, Ba moved to 2. Bundesliga side TSG Hoffenheim for €3 million.

Ba was an integral part of Hoffenheim's promotion to the Bundesliga and their successful first season in the Bundesliga, where they finished seventh after leading during the Christmas break.

In that season he scored 14 goals, only missing one game all season.

These goals included a hat-trick in a 3–3 game against Stuttgart on 24 February 2009.

In all competitions Ba scored 40 goals in 103 appearances for TSG Hoffenheim.

In July 2009, he was due to move to VfB Stuttgart, but the move fell through after he failed a medical.

He played only 12 games for West Ham and despite being their league top goal scorer in the 2010–11 season, they were relegated to the Championship and Ba moved to Newcastle United.

In 2011, he moved to Premier League side West Ham United.

Ba left Hoffenheim for disputed reasons in January 2011.

Claiming the club had gone back on an agreed transfer to a Premier League club, believed to be West Ham United, he refused to travel to Hoffenheim's winter training camp.

In response, Hoffenheim's general manager said his contract would be cancelled, he would face legal action, and he would be fined and prevented from moving to another club for six months.

The club also later claimed he travelled to England without permission in order to force a move, which they reluctantly agreed needs to happen due to Ba's actions.

The club later agreed to a transfer to Stoke City for a reported fee of £7.1 million, but it fell through after Ba had agreed personal terms but failed his medical for undisclosed reasons.

Expressing disappointment, Stoke City manager Tony Pulis said "Obviously they found something which could cause problems later".

After leaving Hoffenheim, the club's general manager Ernst Tanner stated the club stand by their decision selling Ba.

After the collapsed Stoke deal, Ba was sold to West Ham United for an undisclosed fee based on appearances.

He signed a three-year contract on 28 January, on a pay as you play basis due to knee problems found in the Stoke medical.

Ba's Premier League debut came on 6 February 2011, as a 75th-minute substitute for Robbie Keane during a 1–0 home defeat by Birmingham City.

His first goals followed six days later during his full debut, scoring twice in a 3–3 draw against West Bromwich Albion.

Despite finishing as their top scorer for the season with seven from twelve games including 2 in the last game, Ba's stay with West Ham proved to be short.

In January 2013, he completed a move to Chelsea for an undisclosed fee, before joining Beşiktaş for €6 million 18 months later.

After one season in Turkey, he moved to Shanghai Shenhua of the Chinese Super League.

In December of that year Ba extended his contract at Hoffenheim to 2013.