Arnaud Souquet (original) (raw)

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French footballer (born 1992)

Arnaud Souquet

Souquet with Montpellier in 2019
Personal information
Date of birth (1992-02-12) 12 February 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth Paris, France
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team Chicago Fire
Number 2
Youth career
2001–2007 CO Vincennois
2007–2010 Lille
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2014 Lille 1 (0)
2011–2012 → Paris FC (loan) 33 (1)
2012–2013 → Mouscron-Péruwelz (loan) 13 (0)
2014 JA Drancy 2 (1)
2014–2015 Poiré-sur-Vie 21 (0)
2015–2016 Dijon 27 (0)
2016–2018 Nice 55 (1)
2018–2019 Gent 31 (0)
2019–2023 Montpellier 93 (4)
2023– Chicago Fire 51 (0)
2024 Chicago Fire II 1 (0)
International career‡
2007–2008 France U16 6 (0)
2008–2009 France U17 15 (2)
2009–2010 France U18 6 (0)
2011–2012 France U20 5 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 October 2024‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 June 2012

Arnaud Souquet (born 12 February 1992) is a French professional footballer who plays for Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire. He primarily plays as a right-back, but has also been utitilized as a central defender and as a defensive midfielder. Souquet is a France youth international having earned caps with both the under-16s and the under-17 team, whom he played with at the 2009 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship.

Souquet was born in Paris and began his career playing for CO Vincennois, the same club that produced the likes of Blaise Matuidi and Yacine Brahimi. While attending the Vincennes-based club, Souquet had the opportunity to join both the famous Clairefontaine academy and the Parisian giants Paris Saint-Germain. However, he declined the chance and after his father met with then-president Alain Cayzac of the latter, he declined that chance, as well.[2]

Souquet joined Lille in 2007 as a youth player after the club spotted him while playing with Vincennes.[3] After excelling in the club's youth system and internationally, for the 2008–09 season, he was promoted to the club's Championnat de France amateur team, despite being only 16 years old at the time. He made his debut with the reserves in their 1–5 defeat to AS Nancy reserves on 14 September 2008.[4] Over the course of the season, he made 12 appearances, which included nine starts. Following the season, on 17 July 2009, Souquet signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal.[5]

After starting the season with the club's Championnat de France amateur team, on 30 September 2009, due to injuries to midfielders Florent Balmont and Ludovic Obraniak, manager Rudi Garcia announced that Souquet would be included in the team for the club's match against Czech club Slavia Prague in the UEFA Europa League.[6] Souquet was assigned the number 35 shirt and made his professional debut, as a starter, playing the entire 90 minutes. In the match, which Lille won 5–1, Souquet scored his first professional goal in the 88th minute and also assisted on a goal scored by Pierre-Alain Frau.[7][8] On 17 October, he made his league debut starting in the club's match against Rennes. The match ended 0–0 with Souquet only playing the first half.[9]

On 25 July 2016, Ligue 1 side Nice reached an agreement with Dijon for the transfer of Souquet.[10][11]

On 31 August 2018, the last day of the 2018 summer transfer window, Souquet joined Belgian First Division A side K.A.A. Gent on a four-year contract. The transfer fee was reported as €3 million.[12]

On 6 August 2019, Souquet joined Montpellier HSC.[13]

On 9 January 2023, Souquet moved to Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire on a 3-year deal.[14]

International career

[edit]

Souquet has played with both the under-16s and the under-17 team. He was a regular in the under-17s during the run up to the 2009 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship. During the qualification process, he scored goals against Scotland and Denmark. The 1–0 victory over Denmark assured progression to the tournament, where France were eliminated in the group stages. In total with the under-17s, Souquet made 15 appearances and scored two goals.

  1. ^ "Arnaud Souquet". Montpellier HSC. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  2. ^ Arnaud Souquet se révèle à Prague et s'installe dans le groupe lillois. Lavoixdessports.com (15 September 2011). Retrieved on 19 September 2011.
  3. ^ À la découverte d'Arnaud Souquet. Myfoot.fr. Retrieved on 19 September 2011.
  4. ^ Nancy Reserves – Lille Reserves Match Report. Foot-national.com (14 September 2008). Retrieved on 19 September 2011.
  5. ^ Premier contrat professionnel pour Arnaud Souquet Archived 4 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Espoirsdufootball.com (28 July 2011). Retrieved on 19 September 2011.
  6. ^ "La chance de Souquet". Archived from the original on 1 October 2009.
  7. ^ SK Slavia Praha 1 – 5 LOSC Lille Métropole. Uefa.com. Retrieved on 19 September 2011.
  8. ^ Lille run riot in Prague[_permanent dead link_‍]. Ligue1.com. Retrieved on 19 September 2011.
  9. ^ Lille v. Rennes Match Report Archived 21 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Lfp.fr. Retrieved on 19 September 2011.
  10. ^ "Accord de principe pour Souquet" [Agreement for the signing of Souquet]. OGC Nice (in French). 25 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  11. ^ "Transfert : Arnaud Souquet signe à Nice" [Transfer: Arnaud Souquet signed for Nice]. L'Equipe (in French). 25 July 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  12. ^ "Arnaud Souquet (Nice) à La Gantoise, c'est fait". L'Équipe (in French). 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Football : Arnaud Souquet débarque à Montpellier". Midi Libre (in French). 6 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  14. ^ "Chicago Fire FC Acquires French Defender Arnaud Souquet from Montpellier Hérault SC | Chicago Fire FC". chicagofirefc.