Stephane Mahe, a French native born on the 23rd of September, 1968, brings the image of a classic defender to mind. Primarily favouring the position of left back, Mahe stood 1.8m tall, or 5 feet 10 inches for those navigating the imperial landscape. He held a mono for his trim physique, tipping the scales at 75kg, or just a pinch under 12 stone for the old school among us.
Mahe's journey begins earnestly in July 1988, when he joined Auxerre in France's Ligue 1. Here, his debut campaign saw him grace the field just once for competitive league play. Over the following six seasons, his role at Auxerre evolved and expanded, with a seasonal high of 34 appearances in the 1991-92 campaign and a combined total of three goals over this period.
In July 1995, the winds of change swept Mahe towards Paris Saint-Germain, another esteemed member of France's Ligue 1. However, his tenure here was short-lived, with a single season that yielded 23 first team appearances. The following year in 1996, Mahe found himself striding out onto the verdant turf of Rennes, another Ligue 1 club, where he clocked up 33 first team showings.
In July of 1997, Mahe's journey took a northerly turn as he swapped the sun-soaked pitches of France for the robust challenge of Scottish Premiership football with Celtic, for a fee of around £650k. His tenure with the Bhoys spanned four seasons, peaking at 24 appearances in the 1998-99 campaign and boasting a clutch of four goals in the 1999-2000 season.
Kissing the Celtic crest goodbye in August 2000, Mahe ventured into the heart of Scottish football, joining the ranks of Hearts for a fee of around £100k. Despite his advancing years, Mahe played a prominent role during his time with Hearts. His personal best during this period came during the 2001-2002 campaign as he netted two goals across 35 first team appearances. In the succeeding season, Mahe's involvement tapered off to 11 appearances.
In June 2003, Mahe's rich tapestry of a footballing career drew to a close as he departed Hearts and the Scottish Premiership, stepping away from the beautiful game that had been so integral to his journey.
