Nicolas IMBERNON

Born in the South of France in the Bouches-du-Rhône region, Nicolas Imbernon would begin his professional playing career in the Paris region in 1951. Playing as a defensive central midfielder, he would play for Stade Français, and then CA Paris, both clubs playing in the Second Division at the time. In 1953, he would get his first taste of top-flight football, signing for FC Metz. As a lynchpin in the Metz midfield, he would spend three seasons with the club before signing for Stade Rennais in 1956. As a regular in the starting line-up, both in the First and Second Divisions, he would notch up over a hundred matches over three seasons, scoring seven goals in that time for the Red and Blacks, of which three came when he scored a hat-trick in an 8-0 French Cup victory against.Racing Universitaire d'Alger, on 15th December 1957. He left Rennes in 1959 to return South and join SO Montpellier, with whom he would win the Second Division title in 1961, prior to ending his professional career with AS Troyes in 1963. He subsequently moved on to the Yonne region, where he would take on the role of Player-Manager with amateur club Avallon, between 1966-1967. After retiring from the game altogether, he would spend his final days back in the South of France, where he passed away on 11th April 1992, aged just 62 years old.