Florian Lejeune
Encyclopedia
Florian Lejeune is a French
footballer
who currently plays for the Spanish club Villarreal B
in the Segunda División
. He is equally adept at playing as either a defender
or a midfielder
, but plays mostly as a centre back. Lejeune joined his current club ahead of the 2011–12 season after spending one season with Agde
in the Championnat de France amateur and the past two seasons with Istres
in Ligue 2
.
and began his football career in July 1998 at the Centre de Formation de Paris, a youth sporting club designed to cater only to football players under the age of 19. After four months at the academy, he departed for Racing Club des Ternes, a local sporting club based in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Lejeune spent two years at the club and, in 2000, was signed by Racing Club de France. He spent the majority of his youth career at the club and, after a five-year stay, moved down south to join Béziers Méditerranée Cheminots, a sports club
more known for its athletics department. With Béziers, Lejeune played in the Championnat de France 14 ans Fédéraux league.
After one year at Béziers, Lejeune joined the youth academy of Sète
. After two years with the club, he signed an amateur contract with Adge
, which was playing in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football
. Lejeune spent the majority of the 2008–09 season playing on the club's reserve team. Towards the end of the campaign, he was called up to the senior team and made his amateur debut on 11 April 2009 appearing as a substitute in a 3–1 defeat to Gazélec Ajaccio
. On 23 May, he made his first start in a 3–2 victory over Gap
. The following week, Lejeune scored both goals for Agde in a 2–2 draw with Fréjus Saint-Raphaël.
club Istres
on trial
. After impressing in two friendly matches, he was signed to a three-year professional contract and inserted onto the club's reserve team. Lejeune arrived at the club playing primarily in the defensive midfielder
role, but ultimately switched to the centre back position. His positive play during the fall season with the reserves led to the player being called up to the senior team in January 2010. Lejeune made his professional debut on 19 January in a league match against Guingamp in a 0–0 draw with the player playing the entire match. Lejuene finished the campaign with 14 more appearances in the league playing the entire match in all of them.
Lejeune began the 2010–11 season
as a starter and made his season debut in a 4–0 defeat to Ajaccio
in the Coupe de la Ligue
. In September, he was a surprise inclusion in the France under-20 team
. His subsequent uprising into the spotlight and positive play with Istres led to the player being declared one of the best players in Ligue 2, despite only playing in a handful of matches. On 4 January 2011, French newspaper L'Equipe
announced that Spanish
club Real Madrid
was monitoring Lejeune's progress. He was, subsequently, linked to a host of other clubs, notably English
clubs Manchester United
, Manchester City
, and Arsenal
and Italian
clubs Napoli
and Udinese
with all the clubs reportedly likening him to former French international
Laurent Blanc
. However, despite the speculation, club president Francis Collado declared that he had not had official contact with any club linked to the player.
confirmed that Lejeune had reached an agreement with Spanish
club Villarreal
to sign a four-year contract. The transfer fee was priced at €
1 million and Lejeune took his medical and signed his contract following the conclusion of his participation in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup
. He was placed onto the club's second team
. After appearing in seven matches with the B team, Lejeune made his senior team debut on 6 November 2011 appearing as a substitute in a 0–0 draw with Espanyol
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who currently plays for the Spanish club Villarreal B
Villarreal CF B
Villarreal Club de Fútbol B is a Spanish football team based in Villarreal, in the autonomous community of Valencia. Founded in 1999, it is the reserve team of Villarreal CF, and plays in Segunda División, holding home games at Ciudad Deportiva Villarreal CF, with a 5,000-seat capacity.Unlike in...
in the Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
. He is equally adept at playing as either a defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
or a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, but plays mostly as a centre back. Lejeune joined his current club ahead of the 2011–12 season after spending one season with Agde
RCO Agde
RCO Agde |football]] club. The club is based at the 3500-seat Stade Louis Sanguin in Agde.RCO Agde was created in 1999 from the merger of Racing Club Agathois and Football Olympique Agathois. They play in the Championnat de France amateur, Groupe B...
in the Championnat de France amateur and the past two seasons with Istres
FC Istres
Football Club Istres Ouest Provence is a French association football club based in Istres. The club was formed in 1920 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football having achieved promotion to the league following the 2008–09 season. Istres plays its home matches at the...
in Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
.
Early career
Lejeune was born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and began his football career in July 1998 at the Centre de Formation de Paris, a youth sporting club designed to cater only to football players under the age of 19. After four months at the academy, he departed for Racing Club des Ternes, a local sporting club based in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Lejeune spent two years at the club and, in 2000, was signed by Racing Club de France. He spent the majority of his youth career at the club and, after a five-year stay, moved down south to join Béziers Méditerranée Cheminots, a sports club
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
more known for its athletics department. With Béziers, Lejeune played in the Championnat de France 14 ans Fédéraux league.
After one year at Béziers, Lejeune joined the youth academy of Sète
FC Sète
FC Sète 34 is a French football club based in Sète and founded in 1900. The club won the French league twice and the French cup also twice . In 1934 they became the first club to win the French league and cup double....
. After two years with the club, he signed an amateur contract with Adge
RCO Agde
RCO Agde |football]] club. The club is based at the 3500-seat Stade Louis Sanguin in Agde.RCO Agde was created in 1999 from the merger of Racing Club Agathois and Football Olympique Agathois. They play in the Championnat de France amateur, Groupe B...
, which was playing in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football
Football in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...
. Lejeune spent the majority of the 2008–09 season playing on the club's reserve team. Towards the end of the campaign, he was called up to the senior team and made his amateur debut on 11 April 2009 appearing as a substitute in a 3–1 defeat to Gazélec Ajaccio
Gazélec Ajaccio
Gazélec Football Club Olympique Ajaccio was founded in 1910. The club is based in Ajaccio, Corsica.- Honours :* French Amateur Champions: 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968.* Corsican Champions: 1937, 1938, 1956, 1957, 1961.-Current squad:...
. On 23 May, he made his first start in a 3–2 victory over Gap
Gap FC
Gap Hautes-Alpes Football Club is a French association football club based in Gap, the capital city of the Hautes-Alpes department. The club was formed in 1970 as a result of a merger between Sporting Club Olympique Gapençais and CSL Louis Jean and currently play in the Championnat de France...
. The following week, Lejeune scored both goals for Agde in a 2–2 draw with Fréjus Saint-Raphaël.
Istres
In the summer of 2009, Lejeune joined Ligue 2Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
club Istres
FC Istres
Football Club Istres Ouest Provence is a French association football club based in Istres. The club was formed in 1920 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football having achieved promotion to the league following the 2008–09 season. Istres plays its home matches at the...
on trial
Trial (sport)
Trial may refer to the following types of competitions.*Time trials*Car or motor trial, motoring competitions of skill and/or reliability*Motorcycle trials, an obstacle motorcycle competition...
. After impressing in two friendly matches, he was signed to a three-year professional contract and inserted onto the club's reserve team. Lejeune arrived at the club playing primarily in the defensive midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
role, but ultimately switched to the centre back position. His positive play during the fall season with the reserves led to the player being called up to the senior team in January 2010. Lejeune made his professional debut on 19 January in a league match against Guingamp in a 0–0 draw with the player playing the entire match. Lejuene finished the campaign with 14 more appearances in the league playing the entire match in all of them.
Lejeune began the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Ligue 1
The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011...
as a starter and made his season debut in a 4–0 defeat to Ajaccio
AC Ajaccio
Athletic Club Ajaccio is a French association football club based in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica. The club was founded in 1910 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, having finished 2nd in the 2010–11 campaign in Ligue 2. The club president is Alain...
in the Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
. In September, he was a surprise inclusion in the France under-20 team
France national under-20 football team
The France national under-20 football team is the national under-20 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is held every two years and the Toulon Tournament, which is held every May when football league...
. His subsequent uprising into the spotlight and positive play with Istres led to the player being declared one of the best players in Ligue 2, despite only playing in a handful of matches. On 4 January 2011, French newspaper L'Equipe
L'Équipe
L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...
announced that Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
club Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
was monitoring Lejeune's progress. He was, subsequently, linked to a host of other clubs, notably English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
clubs Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, and Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
clubs Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
and Udinese
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
with all the clubs reportedly likening him to former French international
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
. However, despite the speculation, club president Francis Collado declared that he had not had official contact with any club linked to the player.
Villarreal
On 7 July 2011, French newspaper L'EquipeL'Équipe
L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...
confirmed that Lejeune had reached an agreement with Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
club Villarreal
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
to sign a four-year contract. The transfer fee was priced at €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
1 million and Lejeune took his medical and signed his contract following the conclusion of his participation in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup
2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the eighteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship. Colombia hosted the tournament between 29 July and 20 August 2011, with matches being played in eight cities...
. He was placed onto the club's second team
Villarreal CF B
Villarreal Club de Fútbol B is a Spanish football team based in Villarreal, in the autonomous community of Valencia. Founded in 1999, it is the reserve team of Villarreal CF, and plays in Segunda División, holding home games at Ciudad Deportiva Villarreal CF, with a 5,000-seat capacity.Unlike in...
. After appearing in seven matches with the B team, Lejeune made his senior team debut on 6 November 2011 appearing as a substitute in a 0–0 draw with Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
.
Club
(Correct as of 7 November 2011)| Club | Season | League | CupIncludes Copa del Rey Copa del Rey The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol .... , Coupe de France Coupe de France The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation... , Coupe de la Ligue Coupe de la Ligue The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel... , Supercopa de España Supercopa de España The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey... , Trophée des Champions Trophée des champions The Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries... |
Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... Includes UEFA Supercup, FIFA Club World Cup FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000... |
Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Adge RCO Agde RCO Agde |football]] club. The club is based at the 3500-seat Stade Louis Sanguin in Agde.RCO Agde was created in 1999 from the merger of Racing Club Agathois and Football Olympique Agathois. They play in the Championnat de France amateur, Groupe B... |
2008–09 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Total | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | |
| Istres FC Istres Football Club Istres Ouest Provence is a French association football club based in Istres. The club was formed in 1920 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football having achieved promotion to the league following the 2008–09 season. Istres plays its home matches at the... |
2009–10 2009–10 Ligue 2 The Ligue 2 2009–10 season was the sixty-ninth edition since its establishment. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and the league began on 7 August and ended on 14 May 2010.... |
14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Ligue 2 The 2010–11 Ligue 2 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Caen were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 22 May 2010 and the season began on 6 August and ended on 27 May 2011. The winter break will be in effect between 22 December and 14 January 2011... |
28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 3 | |
| Total | 42 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 3 | |
| Villarreal Villarreal CF Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community... |
2011–12 2011–12 La Liga The 2011–12 La Liga season is the 81st since its establishment. Barcelona are the defending champions, having won their 21st La Liga title in the previous season for the third time in a row. The campaign began on 27 August 2011, and will end on 13 May 2012... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Career total | 46 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 5 | |