Loïc Rémy

Loïc Rémy

Personal information
Full name	Loïc Rémy
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Liverpool FC
Number	7
Youth career
1993–1997	ASPTT Lyon
1997–2005	Lyon
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2008	Lyon	12	(0)
2008	→ Lens (loan)	10	(3)
2008–2010	Nice	66	(25)
2010–	Liverpool FC	0	(0)
International career‡
2007–2009	France U21	9	(3)
2009–	France	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 May 2010 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 November 2009

Loïc Rémy (born 2 January 1987) is a French football player of Martiniquais descent who currently plays French club Nice in Ligue 1. Rémy primarily plays in the lead striker role, but also operates in the winger and attacking midfield positions. He is a former France under-21 international and currently plays for the senior team having earned his first cap on 2 June 2009 against Nigeria.

Career

Early career

Rémy was born on 2 January 1987 in a Red Cross hospital in Rillieux-la-Pape, a commune in the city of Lyon. He began his career, as a youth, playing for local outfit ASPTT Lyon, who were coached by René Jacquet, the brother of manager Aimé Jacquet. After being spotted by Olympique Lyonnais scouts, he joined the club's youth academy. While training at the Centre Tola Vologe, Rémy trained alongside the likes of Karim Benzema, Anthony Mounier, and Hatem Ben Arfa. After spending several years in the academy, on 11 October 2006, Rémy signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal. Three days later, on 14 October, he made his professional debut in a Derby du Rhône match against Saint-Étienne appearing as a substitute, in the 73^rd minute, for Sylvain Wiltord. He earned his first start the following month, on 11 November, playing 82 minutes in a 1–0 victory over Sedan.

Loan to Lens

The 2007–08 season saw Rémy permanently promoted to the senior team after being assigned the number 12 shirt. Despite being on the first team, he regularly played with the club's Championnat de France amateur team. Rémy only made six league appearances during the fall season with Lyon. In order to increased the player's playing time, on 31 January 2008, Lyon announced that Rémy would be sent on loan to fellow Ligue 1 club RC Lens. The deal also included a purchased option, which was estimated to be within the €8—10 million range. Rémy was assigned the number 9 shirt and made his debut on 9 February 2008 scoring his first professional goal in the club's 4–1 away victory over Caen. Two weeks later, he scored a goal in the club's impressive 5–4 victory over Le Mans in the Coupe de la Ligue semi-finals. Rémy played 96 of the 120 minutes played. On 15 March, in front a 40,000+ Lens supporters, he scored the would be game-winning goal against Marseille, though Marseille would equalize through Djibril Cissé in the waning minutes of the match. In the 2008 Coupe de la Ligue final against Paris Saint-Germain, Rémy started the match, but played only 12 minutes before being substituted due to injury. Lens lost the match 0–1.

Following the successful loan spell, in which Rémy made 12 total appearances and scored four goals, it was announced that he would be returning to Lyon for the 2008–09 season.

Move to Nice

Despite having two years left on his contract at Lyon, it was announced on 5 June 2008 that Rémy would be joining Nice with the player agreeing to a four-year deal and the transfer fee being approximately €8 million making Rémy the biggest transfer in Nice's history. Upon his arrival, Rémy was assigned the number 7 shirt and made his debut in the club's opening match of the season, a 0–1 loss to Le Havre. Over the next six matches, Rémy would score six goals. These goals included a strike against his former club Lyon and a brace against Boulogne in the Coupe de la Ligue. In a span of four days in October, he scored goals against Bordeaux in a 2–2 draw and Caen in a 1–1 draw.

After going scoreless for most of the winter months, Rémy returned to form in March 2009 scoring goals in three straight matches against Caen, Paris Saint-Germain, and Lorient, with the player scoring a brace against the latter. He finished the season with 36 total appearances and a club-leading 13 goals.

Rémy opened up the 2009–10 campaign scoring his first goal in the opening league match of the season against Saint-Étienne in a 2–0 victory. A month later, he netted goals in three straight matches against Monaco and Lille in the league and against Saint-Étienne in the Coupe de la Ligue. Two weeks later, Rémy converted goals in back-to-back matches against Lorient and his former club Lyon, though Nice lost both matches at a combined score of 2–8. On 7 November 2009, Rémy scored the game winning goal, two minutes from time, in the team's upset victory over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes. The following match day, he again accounted for the only goal of the match converting a penalty against Toulouse. On 10 January 2010, Rémy converted Nice's only goal in their 1–2 loss to semi-professional club Stade Plabennecois in the Coupe de France.

On 20 January, following a heartbreaking 0–1 defeat to Auxerre at home, disgruntle Nice supporters reportedly spat on several Nice players, which included Rémy. During an interview, Rémy called the supporters' actions "unacceptable" and threatened to depart the club during the winter 2010 transfer window if the actions were repeated. Rémy has drawn interest from several clubs, which include Premier League club Arsenal, and Italian clubs A.C. Milan and Fiorentina. He has also been linked with a return to Lyon and a move to the defending Ligue 1 champions Bordeaux. Eventually, Rémy remained at the club after a move to his former club Olympique Lyonnais failed to come to fruition.

International career

Rémy was a France youth international having earned caps with the under-19 team and under-21 squad. With the under-21s, he played in the 2007 Toulon Tournament scoring goals against the Ivory Coast and Japan. In total with the under-21s, Rémy made 9 appearances and scored 3 goals. On 24 March 2008, due to an injury to Thierry Henry, Rémy was called up to the France national football team by manager Raymond Domenech for friendly matches against England and Mali, with the latter team playing France A', the squad's second team. Rémy appeared in the match against Mali coming on as a substitute in the 54^th minute for Samir Nasri. After a string of uneventful call-ups to the senior team, on 2 June, Rémy finally made his national team debut against Nigeria coming on as a substitute.

Career statistics

Club	Season	League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Lyon	2006–07	6	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	7	0
	2007–08	6	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	8	0
	Total	12	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	15	0
Lens	2007–08	10	3	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	12	4
	Total	10	3	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	12	4
Nice	2008–09	32	11	1	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	36	11
	2009–10	33	14	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	33	16
	Total	63	24	2	1	4	1	0	0	0	0	69	26
Career total		85	27	2	1	7	2	2	0	0	0	96	30

Statistics accurate as of match played 16 july 2010.

External links

• Loïc Rémy – French league stats at LFP – also available in French (archived)
• FFF Profile