Maxime LE MARCHAND

Maxime Le Marchand left his hometown of Saint Malo aged 11 to join the youth team setup at Stade Rennais. He progression continued at the Academy, where he made his mark progressively, whilst playing in more withdrawn roles on the pitch. Originally a left winger, he ended up as a left-back in the team that won the Gambardella Cup (French FA Youth Cup) in 2008. Undisputed first-choice in the team of the golden generation, led by Yann M’Vila, he had to bounce back after numerous injuries which could have endangered his future as a professional sportsman. His first appearance on a First Team team-sheet came on Matchday 38 against Marseille in the 2008/2009 season, but he would never get to wear the Rennes shirt in an official fixture. He signed his first professional contract in the summer of 2009, and was immediately loaned out to Le Havre in Ligue 2. After a promising loan spell, he made the move to Normandy permanent.