Paul Nardi: A long road back to France
Having recently joined Auxerre from English side Queen's Park Rangers, goalkeeper Paul Nardi's career is coming full circle -- join us as we trace his lengthy path back to his native France.
A bright start
Born not far from Auxerre in the town of Vesoul, Nardi played for a series of amateur clubs as a youngster before joining Nancy in 2006 at the age of 12. A regular call-up to the France youth sides, he got his first chance to start in Ligue 2 early in the 2013/14 season, and scarcely looked back, finishing the season with a nomination for the UNFP Ligue 2 Goalkeeper of the year, despite being just 19. His precocious success there would earn him a move to Monaco, having first spent the next season back on loan with Les Chardons.
struggles at Monaco
Monaco in 2014 was an exciting place to be -- the Club were ambitious off the arrivals of the likes of Falcao and James Rodriguez, while up-and-coming players of Nardi's age included Bernardo Silva, Thomas Lemar and Fabinho. A pair of deep runs in the Champions League -- as well as a Ligue 1 McDonald's title -- underscored this, but Nardi barely saw the pitch in his time in the Principality, making just a half-dozen appearances in the 2015/16 season.
He fared no better in a loan the following season to Stade Rennais, and eventually joined Monaco's sister club, Cercle Brugge, on what would be an extended loan, making more than eighty appearances. A return to France with Lorient would follow, but although he helped Les Merlus win promotion, he faced competition for his place and would return to Belgium in 2022.
A homecoming at last
After two seasons with Gent, he then moved to England, where he joined QPR. A regular in his first season, last year saw him lose his place in the eleven, and he now returns to France, continuing a recent trend that's seen the likes of Florian Thauvin, Olivier Giroud and Thorgan Hazard come back to their first league to wind down their careers.
Moreover, with Théo de Percin having been sent out on loan and Donovan Leon leaving for the middle east, he and fellow new signing Mamadou Diop will look to battle for the number one shirt, with Nardi's progressive style of play a mark in his favor under new Auxerre boss Will Still.
Read more:
