Mathieu Debuchy

Mathieu Debuchy

Personal information
Full name	Mathieu Debuchy
Date of birth	July 28, 1985 (1985-07-28) (age 26)
Place of birth	Fretin, France
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Right back
Club information
Current club	Lille
Number	2
Youth career
1993–2003	Lille
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–	Lille	186	(11)
National team‡
2011–	France	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 May 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 November 2011

Mathieu Debuchy (French pronunciation: [matjø dəbyʃi]; born July 28, 1985 in Fretin) is a French football midfielder who currently plays for Ligue 1 side Lille OSC. He is often deployed as a midfielder usually acting as a deep-lying playmaker. He can also play as a right back.

Football career

Mathieu has been with the Nord-Pas de Calais-based side since childhood arriving at the club in 1993. After spending nearly a decade in Lille's youth system, he was promoted to the senior squad after the winter break of the 2003–04 season. He was given the number 33 shirt and made his debut and first career start on January 31, 2004 in a Ligue 1 match against FC Metz. Lille won the match 1–0 with Debuchy playing the entire 90 minutes before being subbed out in injury time.^[1] He would make five more appearances that season, two starts and 3 substitute appearances, before being rested.

The following season, he changed his shirt to the current number 2 and his playing time would increase significantly appearing in 19 matches and scoring 3 goals, which included his first career goal against Bordeaux. He scored the goal inside the first minute of the match. Lille's solid form helped them finish 2nd in the league and thus qualified for the UEFA Champions League. Mathieu was also instrumental in Lille's run to the Round of 16 in that year's UEFA Cup where they were eliminated by fellow Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre.

Mathieu continued his solid play until damaging knee ligaments against RC Strasbourg on March 26, 2006. The injury required surgery ruling him out for six months,^[2] as well as the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, which was contested in May of that year. Despite the injury, then-manager Claude Puel still gave the young midfielder a four-year extension keeping him at the club until 2010.^[3] After returning from injury, Debuchy quickly return to his solid form.

International career

Debuchy has been capped with the under-21 squad. On 5 August 2010, Debuchy was called up to the senior team for the first time by new manager Laurent Blanc for the team's friendly match against Norway on 11 August 2010. In addition, he was called up to replace Arsenal right-back, Bacary Sagna after he sustained a leg break playing against Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby.

Honours

Club

Lille OSC

• Coupe de France: 2011
• Ligue 1: 2011 champion

References

1. ^ Metz v. Lille Match Report
2. ^ Blow for Lille starlet
3. ^ No.2 Mathieu Debuchy

External links

• LFP Profile
• Sports Illustrated Profile
• Lille OSC Profile

Persondata
Name	Debuchy, Mathieu
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1985-07-28
Place of birth	Fretin, France
Date of death
Place of death