Aymeric Laporte

Aymeric Jean Louis Gérard Alphonse Laporte (born 27 May 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester City and the Spain national team. He previously played for Basconia and Athletic Bilbao.

Aymeric Laporte
Laporte playing for Athletic Bilbao in 2014
Personal information
Full name Aymeric Jean Louis Gérard Alphonse Laporte[1]
Date of birth (1994-05-27) 27 May 1994[2]
Place of birth Agen, France
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[3]
Position(s) Centre-back
Club information
Current team
 Manchester City
Number 14
Youth career
2000–2009 SU Agen
2009–2010 Bayonne
2010–2011 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 Basconia 33 (2)
2012 Athletic Bilbao B 8 (0)
2012–2018 Athletic Bilbao 161 (7)
2018– Manchester City 111 (8)
National team‡
2011 France U17 11 (1)
2011–2012 France U18 9 (0)
2012–2013 France U19 12 (1)
2013–2016 France U21 19 (1)
2021– Spain 15 (1)
Honours
Representing  France
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Runner-up2013 Lithuania
Representing  Spain
UEFA Nations League
Runner-up2021 Italy
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:54, 29 October 2022 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:29, 14 November 2021 (UTC)

When he joined Athletic Bilbao in 2010 at the age of 16, he became only the second player born in France—after Bixente Lizarazu—to play for them,[4] going on to make 222 competitive appearances for the club. In January 2018, he signed for Manchester City.[5] He was part of the side which won the first domestic treble in English men's football in 2019.

Born in France, Laporte won 51 caps for the country at youth international levels, and was called up to the senior team twice but remained uncapped. In 2021, after receiving Spanish citizenship and approval from FIFA to switch national teams, Laporte was named in Spain's squad for UEFA Euro 2020.

Early life

Laporte was born in Agen, Aquitaine, France; and he is of Basque descent through his great-grandparents.[6] He started playing football and rugby at the age of five, and began his development at Agen's football academy.[7][8][9] In 2009, he was invited to join Athletic Bilbao after being scouted;[8][9] by arrangement with the club, he spent a season with Bayonne[9][10] as he was too young to move outside France at the time.

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

Laporte arrived in Bilbao formally in 2010, joining Athletic's youth setup at Lezama, prompting debate locally over whether his signing met the criteria of their policy due to his tenuous links to the Basque region.[6][8][10] He went on to play for the club's youth and reserve teams.[11] On 28 November 2012 he was given his debut with the main squad by manager Marcelo Bielsa,[12] playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 away win against Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmon in that season's UEFA Europa League.[13]

Laporte made his first La Liga appearance on 9 December 2012, appearing one minute in a 1–0 home win over Celta Vigo.[14] He was inserted in the starting line-up the following week, helping the Lions to defeat Mallorca by the same scoreline,[15] and was definitely promoted to the first team shortly after, signing a new contract until 2015;[16] on 14 January 2013, he was given the number 4 jersey previously worn by Ustaritz,[17] and late in the month he renewed his contract, running until 2016 and with a €27.5 million release clause.[18]

Laporte became an regular starter under new coach Ernesto Valverde, also being deployed as left-back on occasion.[19][20][21] He scored his first goal as a professional on 28 October 2013, netting the game's only at Getafe.[22] At the end of 2013–14 league season, he was voted into the La Liga Team of the Year by the reporters of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional.[23][24]

In June 2015, Laporte extended his link until 2019 with a release clause of €50 million.[25] After losing the 2015 Copa del Rey Final to Barcelona,[26] he played both legs of the 2015 Supercopa de España triumph against the same opposition, Bilbao's first silverware for 31 years.[27][28]

On 13 June 2016, Laporte renewed his contract until 2020, with his buyout clause rising to an initial €65 million.[29]

Manchester City

Near the end of the winter transfer window of January 2018, Laporte signed for Manchester City for a reported fee of £57 million (his contractual release clause amount and a record-breaking figure for both clubs). He was given the number 14 shirt,[30] while Bilbao immediately spent around half of the fee on Iñigo Martínez as a replacement.[31]

Just one day after signing, Laporte made his Manchester City and Premier League debut against West Bromwich Albion. City came out victorious winning 3–0 as they kept up their title charge.[32] He went on to make 13 appearances throughout the season for City, helping them accumulate an unprecedented 100 points in a Premier League season. He made a total of nine league appearances meaning he was eligible for a winner's medal.[33]

Laporte scored his first goal for City on 25 August 2018, equalising against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 1–1 away draw.[34] He made 51 appearances during the 2018–19 season as the club completed the first domestic treble in English football history (Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, plus the Community Shield).[35] He scored five goals throughout the season, including an important goal on the final day of the Premier League campaign as City romped to victory over Brighton and Hove Albion securing back-to-back league titles and the second of Laporte's career. Overall he played a total of 4,352 minutes.[36]

On 31 August 2019, Laporte sustained an injury to his right knee, causing him to be carried off on a stretcher.[37] He underwent surgery in September 2019.[38]

Laporte had been an automatic starter for Manchester City after his return from injury during the 2019–20 season and through the start of the 2020–21 season until a poor display in a 2–0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on 21 November 2020.[39] John Stones replaced Laporte in the centre of defence and formed a formidable partnership with new signing Rúben Dias in Laporte's absence from the starting lineup.[39] On 25 April 2021, Laporte headed in the only goal of the game as City beat Tottenham to win their fourth straight EFL Cup.[40]

International career

France

Laporte represented France at under-17, under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels,[41] captaining each side.[42] He was part of the team that came runners-up to Serbia in the 2013 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Lithuania, and was selected in the Team of the Tournament.[43]

On 24 March 2016, in a 2017 European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Scotland in Angers, Laporte was stretchered off with a fracture and dislocation to his right fibula and ankle, concluding his season prematurely.[44] Previously, in October 2015, he stated that he would consider representing Spain if rejected by France for UEFA Euro 2016.[42]

In August 2016, at the behest of new national manager Julen Lopetegui, Laporte began the process of making himself eligible for Spain.[45] A month later, he was called up to the senior France squad for 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and the Netherlands in October,[46] and stated he had decided not to apply for Spanish nationality with the continued aim of playing for France.[47] He did not take part in either match.

In August 2019, he was called up for France's UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying fixtures against Albania and Andorra;[48] however just two days later he was injured playing for his club and ruled out of any involvement.[37]

Spain

In May 2021, the Spanish Council of Ministers granted Spanish nationality to Laporte following a process initiated on his behalf by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF); FIFA approved the change of nationality later that week, allowing him to play for Spain at the upcoming UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.[49] Laporte had previously claimed that "playing for Spain is out of the question" and that he would not apply for dual citizenship.[50]

On 24 May 2021, Laporte was included in Spain's 24-man squad for Euro 2020.[51] On 4 June, he made his Spain debut when he started in a friendly goalless draw with Portugal.[52] He scored his debut goal for the national team on 23 June, in the group stage 5–0 routing of Slovakia.[53]

Style of play

Spanish football journalist Guillem Balagué described Laporte as a "centre-back who can play from the back and is strong", adding that "he is certainly a powerful defender".[54] He is also known for his passing ability.[55]

Personal life

His younger brother Léo Laporte is also a footballer who plays for Deportivo Alavés.[56]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 2 November 2022
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup[lower-alpha 2] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Basconia 2011–12[57] Tercera División 332————332
Athletic Bilbao B 2012–13[58] Segunda División B 80———0080
Athletic Bilbao 2012–13[58] La Liga 15000—2[lower-alpha 3]0—170
2013–14[59] La Liga 35230———382
2014–15[60] La Liga 33070—9[lower-alpha 4]0—490
2015–16[61] La Liga 26352—12[lower-alpha 3]02[lower-alpha 5]0455
2016–17[62] La Liga 33240—6[lower-alpha 3]0—432
2017–18[63] La Liga 19010—10[lower-alpha 3]1—301
Total 1617202—3912022210
Manchester City 2017–18[64] Premier League 9010003[lower-alpha 6]0—130
2018–19[36] Premier League 353401010[lower-alpha 6]21[lower-alpha 7]0515
2019–20[65] Premier League 15120003[lower-alpha 6]000201
2020–21[66] Premier League 16040324[lower-alpha 6]0—272
2021–22[67] Premier League 33420009[lower-alpha 6]000444
2022–23[68] Premier League 3000003[lower-alpha 6]00060
Total 1118130423221016112
Career total 31317332427133042424
  1. Includes Copa del Rey, FA Cup
  2. Includes EFL Cup
  3. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. Seven appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. Appearances in Supercopa de España
  6. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  7. Appearance in FA Community Shield

International
As of match played 29 March 2022[69]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain 2021141
202210
Total151
As of match played 29 March 2022
Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Laporte goal[69]
List of international goals scored by Aymeric Laporte
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
123 June 2021Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain4 Slovakia2–05–0UEFA Euro 2020

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

  • Supercopa de España: 2015[70]
  • Copa del Rey runner-up: 2014–15[71]

Manchester City

France U19

  • UEFA European Under-19 Championship runner-up: 2013[78]

Spain

  • UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2020–21[79]

Individual

  • UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2013[43]
  • La Liga Team of the Year: 2013–14[23][24]
  • PFA Team of the Year: 2018–19 Premier League[80]

See also
  • List of Spain international footballers born outside Spain
  • List of sportspeople who competed for more than one nation

References
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