Marseille take a chance on Mears
Monday, September 1, 2008
Article summary
Olympique de Marseille have taken defender Tyrone Mears on a season-long loan from Derby County FC, with an option to sign him on a permanent basis at the end of the campaign.
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Olympique de Marseille have taken defender Tyrone Mears on a season-long loan from Derby County FC, with an option to sign him on a permanent basis at the end of the campaign.
Opportunity
Mears, who is contracted to Derby until June 2010, has been offered his chance to impress at the Stade Vélodrome after a successful trial. The 25-year-old will challenge Laurent Bonnart for the right-back slot as OM prepare to embark on their UEFA Champions League campaign
Derby switch
The Englishman started out at Manchester City FC before joining Preston North End FC in 2002 and then West Ham United FC in the summer of 2006. Having struggled to hold down a place with West Ham he transferred to Derby on loan midway through the 2006/07 campaign before being signed outright for €1.5m.
Sixth signing
Erik Gerets's side, who lead Ligue 1 with ten points from four games, have been drawn in UEFA Champions League Group D along with Liverpool FC, PSV Eindhoven and Club Atlético de Madrid. They kick off their campaign at home to Liverpool on 16 September. Mears becomes Marseille's sixth summer recruit following the arrivals of defenders Vitorino Hilton and Elamin Erbate, goalkeeper Rudy Riou, and strikers Bakari Koné and Mamadou Samassa.
