Marvin Martin is a French midfielder who currently belongs to LOSC Lille in France’s Ligue 1. He has represented his country at under 21 level and at Euro 2012.

Playing Style

Martin has been described as a creative midfielder who actively makes plays and opportunities for his teammates. His ball technique has been referred to as excellent; he has a deep and wide-ranging understanding of the game and great vision on the field. His relatively short stature hasn’t stopped him achieving great things in his career so far, and at the age of 24 there will certainly be much more to come.

Career History

Marvin Martin was born and raised in Paris; he supported Paris Saint-German FC as a child. At the age of just six years old he joined his first football club, Club Athletique de Paris, where he stayed for two years before moving onto Montrouge FC. Martin himself says that it was France’s win in the 1998 FIFA for World Cup that inspired him to become a professional football player. After a lot of hard work and dedication Martin eventually sign a youth contract with Sochaux in July 2002. There, Martin trained with Sochaux’s famous youth academy, known for its high standards, and continued to impress. He signed his first professional contract for a three-year deal at Sochaux at the end of the 2007–2008 season. He made his professional debut in a league match against Marseille on 30 August 2008, when he came on as a substitute. Just two weeks later he started for the team for the first time, against Toulouse. His first goal came on 13 May 2009 in a victory for Sochaux over Monaco. That season he made 30 appearances for his club but scored only one time. In the 2009-2010 season Martin asserted himself and scored more goals. In January 2010 he signed an extension to his contract with the club until 2014. He continued to impress and score goals throughout that season and in 2011–2012.

Next Moves

On 20 June 2012, while Martin was on national duty with the French squad in Poland and Ukraine at Euro 2012, it was announced that he had signed a five-year contract with Lille. There had been rumours in early June that the midfielder was considering a move out of Ligue 1 and France altogether, and British clubs such as Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspurs had expressed interest in signing him. It wasn’t made public how much Lille paid Sochaux for their number 14. Martin will officially join Lille on July 1st, meaning that for the foreseeable future at least, he will be staying in France. Martin will probably be a replacement at Lille for their midfielder Eden Hazard, who in May 2012 announced a move to Britain’s Chelsea FC. Arsenal, who were hoping that Martin would replace Cesc Fabregas, who has also moved on to pastures new, in midfield, must surely have been disappointed. It’s a testament to Marvin Martin’s abilities and potential that the likes of Valencia, Fenerbahce and Borussia Dortmund were also interested in signing the young Frenchman.