A lively new addition to the France forward line under Laurent Blanc, scoring UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying goals against Romania and Albania, Loïc Rémy was a prolific Ligue 1 marksman for OGC Nice and has maintained an impressive level of consistency since his move to Olympique de Marseille.

• Born and raised in Lyon, Rémy came through the youth ranks of his local club, making his Ligue 1 debut in the derby against AS Saint-Étienne on 14 October 2006 and his UEFA Champions League bow two months later in a 1-1 home draw with FC Steaua Bucureşti.

• Won the Ligue 1 title in his first two seasons with Olympique Lyonnais but made only a handful of substitute appearances in each campaign, spending most of the second one on loan at RC Lens.

• A permanent move to Nice in 2008 revived his career as he scored 11 league goals in his first season and 14 in his second, finishing as the club's top scorer on each occasion and earning regular selection for France's Under-21 side.

• Won his first senior cap for France in a friendly against Nigeria on 2 June 2009 and scored his first goal 16 months later to help Les Bleus to a valuable victory over Romania in a UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier at the Stade de France.

• Joined Marseille for €13m in August 2010, despite the medical revealing a heart problem, and finished as the club's 15-goal top scorer in Ligue 1, winning the League Cup the following season.