Clément Grenier

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Clément Grenier
Personal information
Full nameClément Grenier
Date of birth (1991-01-07) 7 January 1991
Place of birthAnnonay, France
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing positionAttacking Midfielder
Club information
Current clubLyon
Number7
Youth career
1997–2002FC Annonay
2002–2009Lyon
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2009–Lyon75(10)
National team‡
2007France U166(1)
2007–2008France U1716(8)
2008–2009France U187(0)
2009–2010France U1913(1)
2010–2011France U2011(2)
2012–France U215(0)
2013–France3(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 September 2013.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22 December 2012

Clément Grenier (French pronunciation: ​[klemɑ̃ ɡʁənje]; born 7 January 1991) is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Lyon. He is a France youth international having played with at all levels for which he has been eligible. He is known for his technical ability, dribbling, and free-kick taking. Grenier can play on the right side of midfield, as well as in the attacking midfield position just behind the striker.

Career

Early career

Grenier began his career with his hometown club FC Annonay starring with the club's under-9 Benjamins team. With the team, he helped the club reach the departmental final of the National Cup for under-9 players.[1] Grenier later drew interest from professional club Olympique Lyonnais whose scouts informed the youngster to continue his great play in order to join the club at a later date. Eventually, in July 2002, he secured a move to Lyon joining the club's youth academy.[2]

Lyon

Grenier continued his development while at Lyon quickly becoming one of the club's best prospects. He caught noticeable attention during the 2007–08 season performing well enough domestically and internationally to garner interest from Spanish club Real Madrid, English clubs Arsenal and Chelsea, and Italian club Internazionale, whose scouts likened the player to Brazilian international Kaká.[3][4][5][6] Despite the interest, on 15 May 2008, Grenier, alongside fellow youth player Yannis Tafer, signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal until 2011.[7]

Though Grenier was on the senior team and featured in several of the club's pre-season matches ahead of the 2008–09 season, he spent the majority of the campaign playing with the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. Grenier played in 16 league matches and scored his only one goal with the team against Adge.[8] He also played in the 2008–09 edition of the Coupe Gambardella appearing in seven matches and scoring three goals as the squad reach the semi-finals. Due to being marred by tendinitis in his patella, he did not play in any matches with the senior team.[9] Similar to the previous season, Grenier began the 2009–10 season, with the club's reserve team. He scored on his debut against Gap.[10] On 24 September 2009, Grenier was named to the senior squad to play in a league match against Toulouse on 26 September. He made his debut in that match appearing as a substitute for Bafétimbi Gomis. Lyon won the match 2–1. Due to impressing throughout the 2013/14 season with 4 goals and 4 assists in 19 appearances[11] On 29 January 2014 it was widely reported that English Premier League club Newcastle United had made a 'substantial' bid for Grenier. The bid was believed to be around €13m-€15m.[citation needed]

International career

Grenier has featured for all of France's national youth teams beginning with the under-16 team making his debut in the team's 0–0 draw with Poland on 13 March 2007.[12] In the return match in Saint-Aubin-lès-Elbeuf, Grenier assisted on two goals in the team's 5–0 victory.[13] He scored his first and only goal for the team on 3 April in the team's opening group stage match against Cameroon in the Montaigu Tournament. France won the match 2–0.[14] With the under-17 team, Grenier was a regular and scored on his debut in a 4–0 victory over Switzerland.[15] In qualification for the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, Grenier scored a hat trick in the team's 6–0 thrashing of Albania in the first qualifying round.[16][17] At the Algarve Cup in Portugal, he helped the team to a 2nd place finish by scoring a brace in the team's 4–2 win against Denmark.[18] In the Elite Round portion of qualification, Grenier scored his only goal against Israel in the team's second group stage match.[19][20] France finished the round unbeaten, which led to qualification to the UEFA-sanctioned tournament. At the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, Grenier scored in the team's 3–3 draw with Spain converting on a curling free-kick in the 43rd minute. France later reached the final where they were defeated 4–0 by Spain.[21][22]

With the under-18 team, Grenier made his debut in the team's opening match against the Ukraine.[23] For the first time in a youth international campaign, Grenier went scoreless making seven total appearances with the team. For under-19 duty, Grenier was again called upon by coach Francis Smerecki making his first appearance with the team at the 2009 edition of the Sendaï Cup. He scored his only goal for the team in the Tournio de Limoges against Greece in a 3–3 draw. On 7 June 2010, Grenier was named to coach Smerecki's 18-man squad to participate in the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. In the tournament, he missed a penalty in the team's opening 4–1 victory over the Dutch.[24] Despite missing the team's final two matches, Grenier became a European champion following the team's 2–1 comeback victory against Spain in the final match. The title is the country's second UEFA Under-19 championship.[25]

Due to France's victory at the UEFA Under-19 championship, the nation qualified for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which merited under-20 team appearances for Grenier. He made his debut with the team on 7 October 2010 in a friendly match against Portugal, which ended 3–3. In the match, Grenier scored his first goal for the team netting the equalizing third goal.[26] On 9 February 2011, he scored the opening goal for France in its 2–1 win over England. After appearing in two more matches with the team during the 2010–11 campaign, on 10 June 2011, Grenier was named to the 21-man squad to participate in the U-20 World Cup. He made his debut in the competition on 30 July 2011 in the team's 4–1 defeat to the hosts Colombia appearing as a substitute.[27]

References

  1. ↑ "Football Club Annonay". Football Club Annonay (in French). 27 September 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  2. ↑ "Football Club Annonay". Le Dauphine (in French). 2 May 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  3. ↑ "El Madrid sigue los pasos de Clement Grenier". Marca (in Spanish). 10 April 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  4. ↑ "Arsenal, Chelsea eyeing Lyon kid Grenier". Tribal Football. 11 April 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  5. ↑ "Quartet track Lyon youngster". Sky Sports. 15 April 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  6. ↑ "Arsenal reported to be looking at French prodigy". Guardian Series. 3 April 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  7. ↑ "Yanis Tafer – Clément Grenier, les nouvelles pépites de l’OL!". Foot Mercato (in French). 17 May 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  8. ↑ "Lyon v. Agde Match Report" (in French). 8 February 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  9. ↑ "Football: après la pluie, le beau temps?". Hebdo-Ardeche (in French). 3 May 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  10. ↑ "Lyon v. Gap Match Report". Foot-National (in French). 8 August 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  11. ↑ "Lyon Statistics 2013/14". KickOff.co.uk. 
  12. ↑ "Match nul pour débuter (0–0)". French Football Federation (in French). 13 March 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2010. 
  13. ↑ "Belle victoire tricolore (5–0)". French Football Federation (in French). 15 March 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2010. 
  14. ↑ "Débuts réussis pour la France (2–0)". French Football Federation (in French). 3 April 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2010. 
  15. ↑ "Reprise réussie pour les Tricolores (4–0)" (in French). French Football Federation. 2 October 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2010. 
  16. ↑ "France v. Albania Match Report". Union of European Football Associations. 25 October 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  17. ↑ "Large victoire et qualification (6–0)" (in French). French Football Federation. 25 October 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2010. 
  18. ↑ "Une victoire (4–2) pour finir" (in French). French Football Federation. 5 February 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2010. 
  19. ↑ "France v. Israel Match Report". Union of European Football Associations. 27 March 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  20. ↑ "Une victoire (4–2) pour finir" (in French). French Football Federation. 5 February 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2010. 
  21. ↑ "Stupendous Spain win U17 crown". Union of European Football Associations. 16 May 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2010. 
  22. ↑ "L'Espagne réalise le doublé". French Football Federation. 16 May 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2010. 
  23. ↑ "Défaite pour les Tricolores (1–3)" (in French). French Football Federation. 30 September 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2010. 
  24. ↑ "France flurry too much for Dutch". Union of European Football Associations. 18 July 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2010. 
  25. ↑ "France fight back to claim U19 crown". Union of European Football Associations. 30 July 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2010. 
  26. ↑ "France 3–3 Portugal". French Football Federation. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2010. 
  27. ↑ "Colombia 4–1 France". Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 30 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011. 

External links

Olympique Lyonnais – current squad
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