Despite his obvious talents, it is something of a surprise that pacy Lyon forward Sidney Govou ever became a professional footballer at all. Academically gifted, he had plans to train as a physiotherapist or teacher until late into his teens, and confesses to having little love for the sport that pays his wages. "Before I thought I could make it as a professional, football didn't interest me," he said at the start of the 2004-05 season.

"I've been watching a few games on TV recently but I don't know how long that will last. Maybe my next phase will be dedicated to cinema."

If he did start renting DVDs it would have been wholly appropriate, as Govou's father named him after none other than American actor Sidney Poitier.

And that was far from being the only lasting influence the Benin-born amateur footballer had on his son. He was the one who persuaded Sidney to give the game another chance when he walked away from his local side Puy-en-Valey at the age of 16: "I was often a substitute because the Coaches thought I was too small, so I didn't go back. I was fed up, but my Dad persuaded me to have another go."

He is still just 5'9", but Govou quickly rose through the ranks at Lyon after being spotted at the age of 18. After overcoming his complexes about being a late-comer to the game, his speed, constant running and comfort on the ball finally shone through, and Bernard Lacombe handed him his Ligue 1 debut against Auxerre in January 2000. The following season, the winger-turned-striker announced his arrival to the rest of Europe by scoring twice in a 3-0 Champions' League victory over Bayern Munich.

The sale of Steve Marlet at the beginning of the 2001-02 season allowed Govou to become a fixture in the side, and his breakthrough campaign coincided with Lyon's first League crown. His 10 goals in partnership with Sonny Anderson rewarded the faith Coach Jacques Santini had placed in him, and Santini returned the gesture by giving Govou his first France cap against Tunisia in August 2002.

The 2003-04 season almost derailed the youngster's progress, as an ankle injury restricted his contribution and rumours persisted that he enjoyed the nightlife a little too much. Govou says the birth of his baby daughter Naomy in 2005 helped calm him down, though, and his reward was the captaincy while Claudio Caçapa was sidelined. He also revelled in the role he always claimed was his most natural: "Ideally, I like to play wide on the right, between midfield and attack. I get a lot more space there, and I don't think my finishing is good enough to justify being an out-and-out striker."

Govou made it clear he wanted to leave Lyon after helping the club to a fourth successive title in May 2005. Lyon, for their part, gave him permission to leave so long as a club was prepared to meet their asking price. Govou attracted the interest of Newcastle and Tottenham, but the interest he had been hoping for from Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United did not materialise and he opted to stay on at the Stade Gerland.