Laurent Merlin
Personal information
Full name	Laurent Merlin
Date of birth	October 17, 1984 (1984-10-17) (age 25)
Place of birth	Marseille, France
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	SO Cassis Carnoux
Number	17
Youth career
	Marseille
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2002-2004 2004-2006 2006 2007 2008-	Marseille AC Ajaccio → LB Chateauroux (loan) Chivas USA SO Cassis Carnoux	02 0(0) 13 0(1) 03 0(0) 22 0(1)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:28, 22 June 2007 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Laurent Merlin (born October 17, 1984 in Marseille, France) is a French former youth international who plays for SO Cassis Carnoux. Merlin is a centre forward. Merlin started his career as a youngster with the Olympique de Marseille reserve team, where he quickly progressed into the senior squad and earned two caps over two seasons with the seniors. He was then snapped up by Corsica based French league team, AC Ajaccio. Laurent got his first senior goal with the club before being loaned to LB Chateauroux and on his return was sold to Chivas USA.

Contents 1 Laurent Merlin's Career 1.1 Olympique de Marseille 1.2 Transfer to AC Ajaccio 1.3 LB Chateauroux 1.4 Moving to America 1.5 Moving to Uzbekistan with Scolari 2 International career 3 References

[edit] Laurent Merlin's Career

[edit] Olympique de Marseille

At the age of just ten, Laurent was training with the giants of French football Olympique de Marseille. From the youth team there he was able to make a name for himself, and soon found himself in Olympique de Marseille 2, the Marseille reserve team. Whilst at Marseille, Laurent only played in two matches and soon found himself surplus to requirements at l'Ohème.

[edit] Transfer to AC Ajaccio

It was in 2004 when Laurent Merlin signed for fellow French Ligue one side, Corsica-based, AC Ajaccio. At Ajaccio, Laurent played twelve games in his first two seasons, ten more than when at Olympique de Marseille, a club at which he'd been a part of the senior squad for two seasons. In these twelve games, he scored one goal.

In the following season, Merlin started just the one single game for Ajaccio, soon becoming another back-up player like he was at Olympique de Marseille. In the early months of 2006, Laurent Merlin was loaned by AC Ajaccio to lower league, French side, LB Chateauroux.

[edit] LB Chateauroux

Merlin started three games for Chateauroux, but soon returned to Ajaccio. He would then be able to move to Chivas USA, via other clubs on the way

[edit] Moving to America

Laurent Merlin took part in Los Angeles Galaxy's MLS first ever open tryout in February 2007. The tryout was highly publicized in anticipation of the signing of David Beckham by the Galaxy. Through two days of intense competition with over 800 players from all over the world, he was one of two to survive four rounds of cuts and earn a trial with the Galaxy. Rival LA squad Chivas USA was impressed enough with Merlin that they signed him. Merlin would play 22 games for the club, scoring 1 goal, before he was waived in 2007.

[edit] Moving to Uzbekistan with Scolari

He plans to sign for Uzbekistan champions Bunyodkor and eventually make regular appearance in the first XI after so many months without playing.

[edit] International career

Merlin possesses an impressive career on the youth international scene, with caps from Under 17, Under 18 and Under 19 level. He has not yet represented the France senior national team.

[edit] References