Mathieu Debuchy
Personal information
Full name	Mathieu Debuchy
Date of birth	July 28, 1985 (1985-07-28) (age 24)
Place of birth	Fretin, France
Height	1.87m
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Lille
Number	2
Youth career
1993–2003	Lille
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2003–	Lille	117 0(8)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 August, 2008. * Appearances (Goals)

Mathieu Debuchy (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.

Contents 1 Football career 1.1 International career 2 References 3 External links

[edit] 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.

[edit] International career

Mathieu has been capped with the under-21 squad. Despite his consistent play, he has yet to be called up the senior squad.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• LFP Profile
• Sports Illustrated Profile
• Lille OSC Profile

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