Loïc Rémy

Loïc Alex Teliére Hubert Rémy (born 2 January 1987) is a French former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Rémy began his career playing for a local youth club in his home city of Lyon, before joining the biggest club in the city, Lyon, joining their youth academy.

In 2005, he was promoted to the senior team and struggled to establish himself in three seasons under managers Gérard Houllier and Alain Perrin.

After spending several years in the academy, on 11 October 2006, Rémy signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal.

The 2007–08 season saw Rémy permanently promoted to the senior team after being assigned the number 12 shirt.

Despite being on the first team, he regularly played with the club's Championnat de France Amateur team in the fourth division.

Rémy only made six league appearances during the fall season with Lyon.

In 2008, he was loaned out to Lens and, after a successful stint, was purchased by Nice ahead of the 2008–09 season.

With Nice, Rémy flourished in the lead striker role scoring over 25 goals in his two years with the club.

In order to increase the player's playing time, on 31 January 2008, Lyon announced that Rémy would be sent on loan to fellow Ligue 1 club RC Lens.

The deal also included a purchase option, which was estimated to be within the €8–10 million range.

Rémy was assigned the number 9 shirt and made his debut on 9 February 2008 scoring his first professional goal in the club's 4–1 away victory over Caen.

Two weeks later, he scored a goal in the club's 5–4 victory over Le Mans in the Coupe de la Ligue semi-finals.

Rémy played 96 of the 120 minutes played.

On 15 March, in front a 40,000+ Lens supporters, he scored the would-be game-winning goal against Marseille.

Marseille equalised through Djibril Cissé in the waning minutes of the match.

In the 2008 Coupe de la Ligue Final against Paris Saint-Germain, Rémy started the match, but played only 12 minutes before being substituted due to injury.

Lens lost the match, 1–0.

Following the successful loan spell, in which Rémy made 12 total appearances and scored four goals, it was announced that he would be returning to Lyon for the 2008–09 season.

Despite having two years left on his contract at Lyon, it was announced on 5 June 2008 that Rémy would be joining Nice with the player agreeing to a four-year deal and the transfer fee being approximately €8 million making Rémy the biggest transfer in the club's history.

Upon his arrival, Rémy was assigned the number 7 shirt and made his debut in the club's opening match of the season, a 1–0 loss to Le Havre.

Over the next six matches, Rémy scored six goals.

These goals included a strike against his former club Lyon and a brace against Boulogne in the Coupe de la Ligue.

In a span of four days in October, he scored goals against Bordeaux in a 2–2 draw and Caen in a 1–1 draw.

He earned his first cap for the senior team in June 2009 against Nigeria, and also played at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Rémy was born in a Red Cross hospital in Rillieux-la-Pape, a commune in the Lyon Metropolis.

He began his career, as a youth, playing for local outfit ASPTT Lyon, who were coached by René-Jean Jacquet, the brother of manager Aimé Jacquet.

After being spotted by Lyon scouts, he joined the club's youth academy.

While training at the Centre Tola Vologe, Rémy trained alongside the likes of Karim Benzema, Anthony Mounier, and Hatem Ben Arfa.

After going scoreless for most of the winter months, Rémy returned to form in March 2009 scoring goals in three straight matches against Caen, Paris Saint-Germain, and Lorient, with the player scoring a brace against the latter.

He finished the season with 36 total appearances and a club-leading 13 goals.

Rémy opened up the 2009–10 campaign scoring his first goal in the opening league match of the season against Saint-Étienne in a 2–0 victory.

In 2010, after enduring interest from several clubs domestically and abroad, Rémy joined the defending champions Marseille on a five-year contract.

He moved abroad for the first time to join Queens Park Rangers in January 2013, but could not prevent their relegation.

The following season, he remained in the Premier League on loan at Newcastle United.

In the summer of 2014, Rémy signed for Chelsea for a reported £10.5 million, where he won the League Cup and Premier League in his first season.

Three days later, on 14 October, he made his professional debut in a Derby du Rhône match against Saint-Étienne appearing as a substitute, in the 73rd minute, for Sylvain Wiltord.

Rémy earned his first start the following month, on 11 November, playing 82 minutes in a 1–0 victory over Sedan.

He was sent out on loan to Crystal Palace on 30 August 2016 but returned almost immediately to Chelsea the following month after sustaining an ankle injury.

Rémy is a former France under-20 and under-21 international.