Mehdi Kerrouche

Mehdi Kerrouche
Born	(1985-10-11) October 11, 1985 Douai, France
Occupation	Professional footballer
Known for	Striker for various clubs including Swindon Town and USM Alger

Mehdi Kerrouche (born 11 October 1985) is a French professional footballer who operates primarily as a striker.

Club career

Kerrouche, born in Douai, France, and of Algerian heritage, launched his senior career at AC Cambrai competing in the French CFA2. In 2007, he transitioned to the Belgian Second Division by joining K.S.K. Ronse.

USM Alger

On 18 August 2007, Kerrouche secured a one-year deal with Algerian side USM Alger.

GFCO Ajaccio

During the 2008–09 campaign, he featured for GFCO Ajaccio in the French CFA, tallying twelve goals across eighteen matches.

Naval

In August 2009, Kerrouche signed for Associação Naval 1º de Maio, making his first appearance as part of the starting lineup on 11 September 2009 against Vitória in a league fixture.

Swindon Town

On 18 July 2011, following an impressive trial period that caught the eye of manager Paulo Di Canio, Kerrouche committed to a two-year contract with English Football League Two club Swindon Town. He was assigned squad number 39.

Although he found the net in a pre-season friendly versus Cirencester Town, a knee injury delayed his participation at the beginning of the 2011–12 season. His debut for Swindon came on 16 August 2011 as a substitute during a 1-0 defeat to Dagenham & Redbridge. He opened his goal account for the club on 30 August, scoring in a 3-1 EFL Cup loss to Southampton.

After initial adaptation challenges, Kerrouche established himself as a regular starter alongside Alan Connell. Key contributions included assisting two goals in a 3-2 triumph over Rotherham United, scoring his first league goal during a 2–0 win against Southend United, and netting a brace in a 3–0 victory over Crawley Town. By October, despite missing some matches, he was Swindon's leading scorer with five goals.

Kerrouche maintained his influence with goals and assists throughout the season, including converting his first penalty in a 2–0 win against Port Vale and scoring his inaugural FA Cup goal in a 4–1 victory over Huddersfield Town. However, injuries such as a groin strain led to him missing several fixtures.

Manager Di Canio highlighted the necessity for increased effort from Kerrouche after substituting him during an FA Cup tie in December. His final outing for Swindon occurred on 10 December 2011 in a 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers. Following this, he was excluded from the starting lineup and his future at the club became uncertain, with Di Canio expressing openness to his departure.

Post-loan at Oxford United, Kerrouche did not reappear in Swindon's squad for the remainder of the season but played a role in their promotion to League One. He concluded the 2011–12 season having made eighteen appearances and scored six goals across all competitions.

On 25 June 2012, both parties agreed to terminate Kerrouche's contract with Swindon Town by mutual consent.

Loan Spell at Oxford United

On 9 February 2012, Kerrouche was loaned to local rivals Oxford United for a one-month period to help alleviate a striker shortage caused by injuries to important squad members. He made his first appearance on 14 February, coming off the bench in a 2–1 win against Dagenham & Redbridge, which secured Oxford's initial victory of February. Following four matches, Kerrouche concluded his loan and returned to Swindon.

CS Constantine

In mid-2012, Kerrouche committed to a three-year deal with Algerian Ligue 1 side CS Constantine, marking his return to professional football in Algeria.

Personal life

Kerrouche is a father to a daughter and famously dedicated his distinctive thumb-sucking goal celebration to her.

Honours

Swindon Town

• Football League Two Champions: 2011–12