Nicolas Nkoulou
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 07/2016
Personal information
Full name
Nicolas Alexis Julio Nkoulou Ndoubena
Date of birth
27 March 1990
Place of birth
Yaoundé, Cameroon
Height
1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position
Defender
Club information
Current team
Lyon
Number
3
Cameroon
Olympique Lyonnais 2016-
Article
Youth career
Kadji Sports Academy
AS Monaco
2007-2008
Senior career
Monaco
2008-2011
78x apps / 0x goal
Marseille
2011-2016
162x apps / 5x goals
Lyon
2016-
0x apps / 0x goal
National team
Cameroon U23
2008
3x apps / 0x goal
Cameroon
2008-
68x apps / 1x goal
(* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:41, 8 May 2016 (UTC). - National team caps and goals correct as of 3 December 2015)
Nicolas Alexis Julio Nkoulou Ndoubena, commonly referred to as Nicolas Nkoulou, is a Cameroonian footballer currently playing for Olympique Lyon.
Club career
Nkoulou began his career at Kadji Sports Academy in Douala, the same academy that produced the likes of Samuel Eto'o, Carlos Kameni, and Eric Djemba-Djemba.
In late 2007, it was announced that he was acquired by the principality-based side AS Monaco FC.
He agreed to a three-year professional contract.
He spent the latter portion of the 2007-08 season playing with Monaco's CFA squad, before joining the squad for preseason in July 2008, where he was handed the number 3 kit.
He made two appearances during the pre-season starting their opening friendly match against fellow Ligue 1 side Toulouse FC and also starting against Croatian side NK Zagreb.
He made his professional debut on 13 September 2008 in a 2:0 victory over FC Lorient starting the match before being substituted in the 65th minute.
He has started every match since playing the full 90 minutes in them all.
He has yet to score a goal.
His performances with Monaco have led to him being scouted by several prominent European clubs.
English clubs Arsenal and Hull City, Spanish sides Sevilla and Atlético Madrid, and French champions Olympique Lyonnais have all declared their interests in the Cameroonian defender.
On 29 June 2011, N'Koulou passed his medical and signed for four years with Marseille.
5 years later, after his contract with Marseille expired, he signed a four year contract with Ligue 1 2015/2016 runners-up - Olympique Lyon.
International career
N'Koulou was included in the Cameroon U-23 squad that participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
He helped the squad reach the knockout round, where they were eliminated by Brazil.
He would make his international debut in the senior squad on 19 November 2008 in a friendly against South Africa.