Adil Rami ( ; Arabic: عادل رامي; born 27 December 1985) is a French international footballer of Moroccan origin who plays for Spanish club Valencia CF in La Liga. He plays in central defence for the club and is known for his physical strength, free kicks, and imposing height standing at 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m).
Rami began his football career playing for amateur club Étoile Fréjus Saint-Raphaël, then known as ES Fréjus. Due only playing the sport as a hobby, he spent three seasons at the club playing in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. In 2006, Rami ascended three divisions after signing with Ligue 1 club Lille OSC. At Lille, Rami developed in a starter making his professional debut in May 2007. He is nicknamed "Shrek" by teammates and Lille supporters. In January 2011, Rami joined Spanish club Valencia agreeing to a four-year contract. He was immediately loan back to his previous club and was, subsequently, a part of the Lille team that won the league and cup double.
Despite constant early inquiries from Morocco prior to his first selection, Rami is a French international. He was pre-selected to play for France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but did not make the final squad. Rami made his senior debut on 11 August 2010 in a friendly match against Norway.
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