A defensive cornerstone of Laurent Blanc's France, starting nine of the team's ten UEFA EURO 2012 qualifiers, Adil Rami will make his major tournament bow at the end of a debut season in Spain with Valencia CF, the club he joined after helping LOSC Lille Métropole to the French domestic double in 2010/11.

• Born in Corsica, he moved to mainland France as a youth and began his football career as an amateur with fourth-tier club ES Fréjus.

• Ascended three divisions – and moved several hundred kilometres north − when Lille came in for his services, following a trial, in 2006.

• Established himself in the Lille back line under Claude Puel during the 2007/08 season − despite a lengthy absence with knee ligament damage − and scored seven goals in 67 Ligue 1 appearances over the following two campaigns, when he also made his European bow in the UEFA Europa League as Lille reached the last 16.

• Missed just two matches as Lille captured the Ligue 1 crown under Rudi Garcia and was also victorious in the Coupe de France; signed for Valencia midway through the double-winning campaign but was allowed to remain at Lille on loan until the end of the season.

• Made his debut for France in Blanc's first game in charge − a friendly against Norway in Oslo − and kept his place for the next nine internationals; in his nine UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying appearances Les Bleus conceded just three goals.

• Finished as Valencia's three-goal top scorer in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League as the club reached the semi-finals after transferring into the competition from the UEFA Champions League.