Jérémy Toulalan facts for kids
Toulalan playing for Málaga in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jérémy Toulalan | ||
| Date of birth | 10 September 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Nantes, France | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2001 | Nantes | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2006 | Nantes | 94 | (1) |
| 2006–2011 | Lyon | 154 | (0) |
| 2011–2013 | Málaga | 44 | (3) |
| 2013–2016 | Monaco | 82 | (1) |
| 2016–2018 | Bordeaux | 51 | (0) |
| Total | 425 | (5) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000-2001 | France U17 | 19 | (5) |
| 2002-2003 | France U19 | 7 | (1) |
| 2003–2006 | France U21 | ||
| 2006–2010 | France | 36 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jérémy Toulalan (born 10 September 1983) is a French former professional footballer. He played mainly as a defensive midfielder, a player who protects the defense. Sometimes, he also played as a central defender. People knew him for being a humble player with good technique and strong tackling skills.
Toulalan began his career at his hometown club, Nantes, making his first team debut in March 2002. His great performances during the 2004–05 season earned him a special award: the UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year. He was also chosen for the league's Team of the Year. In May 2006, Toulalan joined Lyon. He helped them win the league title two years in a row, in 2007 and 2008. Later, in June 2011, he moved to Málaga.
Jérémy also played for the French national team. He played for several youth teams before joining the senior team. He first played for the senior team in October 2006. He represented France in two big international tournaments: UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Starting at Nantes
Jérémy Toulalan was born in Nantes, France. He grew up playing football in the Nantes youth academy. He played his first game for the senior team in the 2001–02 season. This was against Rennes in a local derby match. He came on as a substitute in a 3–1 win. He also played in a UEFA Cup match before going back to the reserve team.
For the next two seasons, Toulalan did not play much with the main team. But in the 2004–05 season, he became a very important midfielder. During this season, he scored his only goal for Nantes. It was in a 2–0 victory against Strasbourg. Because of his strong play, he was named the UNFP Young Player of the Year. He was also picked for the league's Team of the Year. Even with his great performances, Nantes finished close to the bottom of the league. After another good season in 2005–06, he decided to move to a new club.
Joining Lyon
After the 2004–05 season, Lyon wanted Toulalan to join their team. Lyon had won the French league three times in a row by then. They offered a lot of money for him, but Nantes said no. After the 2005–06 season, some key players left Lyon. This made Lyon try even harder to sign Toulalan. They thought he would be a perfect fit for their team.
After a week of talks, Nantes agreed to let him go for €7 million on 17 May 2006. Toulalan signed a four-year contract, becoming Lyon's first new player that summer. At Nantes, he wore the number 17 shirt. But at Lyon, that number was retired to honor a former player, Marc-Vivien Foé. So, Toulalan was given the number 28 shirt.
Toulalan played his first game for Lyon against his old club, Nantes. He played the whole game, and Lyon won 3–1. He was a very important player that season. He helped Lyon win their sixth league title in a row. Toulalan played well with other midfielders like Brazilian Juninho and Swedish player Kim Källström. This strong midfield helped Lyon win the league by a huge 17-point lead.
For his play during the 2007–08 season, Toulalan was one of four players nominated for the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award. This was a big achievement, especially since he played in a defensive role. His teammate Karim Benzema won the award that year.
Other big clubs noticed his performances. After the season, English clubs Arsenal and Chelsea were very interested in him. They thought he could replace important players who had left their teams. However, Toulalan said he was happy at Lyon. On 7 March 2008, he showed this by signing a new contract. This deal kept him at the club until 2013. On 13 January 2010, Toulalan scored his first goal for Lyon. It was in a Coupe de la Ligue match against Metz. This was only the second goal of his entire career.
Moving to Málaga
On 11 June 2011, the Spanish club Málaga and Lyon confirmed that Toulalan was moving. He joined Málaga for €10 million on a four-year deal. On 28 November 2011, he scored the first goal in a 2–1 home win against Villarreal. He was later sent off (given a red card) during that game. However, his suspension was later removed by the Spanish Football Federation.
On 12 February 2012, he scored another goal from a volley in a 3–1 home victory over Mallorca. He scored his third league goal of the season on 3 March in a 3–1 away win against Getafe. Sadly, on 21 March 2012, Toulalan got injured during training. He needed an operation and missed the rest of the season.
Playing for AS Monaco
On 6 July 2013, AS Monaco announced that they had signed Toulalan from Málaga. He signed a two-year contract with the club.
Playing for France
Jérémy Toulalan played for the French national team from 2000. He was first called up to the France under-17 squad. He also played for the under-18 squad. Toulalan was part of the French team that played in the 2006 UEFA U-21 Championship. He helped France reach the semi-finals, where they lost to the Netherlands. He was even named in the Team of the Tournament.
Toulalan was first called up to the senior national team in 2006. This was for a Euro 2008 qualification match against the Faroe Islands. He started the match and played the full 90 minutes. France won the game 5–0. Because of his strong play for Lyon and the national team, he was chosen for the 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2008. Even though France did not do as well as expected, Toulalan was one of the few French players who played in all three group stage matches.
Toulalan became a regular player for the national team. Many people saw him as the player who would take over from the great Claude Makélélé. The manager at the time, Raymond Domenech, often said that Toulalan was the perfect replacement for Patrick Vieira when he retired from the national team. Toulalan was chosen by Domenech for the 23-man squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. However, France again did not perform well. They were knocked out in the group stage, scoring only one goal and earning just one point.
On 6 August 2010, Toulalan was one of five players called to a hearing. This was held by the French Football Federation because of a team protest at the World Cup. On 17 August, he received a one-match ban from international games. This was because he admitted that his press officer helped the players write a letter explaining their protest.
Career Highlights
Jérémy Toulalan played a total of 425 league games and scored 5 goals in his club career. For the French national team, he played 36 times and did not score any goals.
Honours
Lyon
- Ligue 1: 2006–07, 2007–08
- Coupe de France: 2007–08
- Trophée des Champions: 2006, 2007
Individual
- UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year: 2004–05
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2007–08
See also
In Spanish: Jérémy Toulalan para niños
