Adil Rami

Adil Rami is a French former professional footballer, born on 27 December 1985, who played as a centre-back. He began with the amateur club Etoile Frejus Saint-Raphael, then known as ES Frejus, where football was only a hobby and he spent three seasons in the fourth tier of French football. In 2006 he jumped three divisions by signing with Ligue 1 club Lille, became a regular starter there and made his professional debut in May 2007. Teammates and supporters nicknamed him Shrek. In January 2011 he agreed a four year contract with Valencia but was loaned straight back to Lille and was part of the side that won the league and cup double that season. Although Morocco made early inquiries, he chose to play for France and made his senior debut in a friendly against Norway on 11 August 2010, after missing the final squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.