Julien Escude

Julien Escude is a French professional footballer who plays for Besiktas J.K. in the Turkish Super Lig, as a central defender. Escude began his professional career at AS Cannes, playing one season in the second division. On 26 July 1999, after some solid performances, the 20-year-old joined top level club Stade Rennais FC and made nearly 150 official appearances. In the 2003 summer, Escude signed with Dutch side AFC Ajax scoring six times in his first two seasons combined for the Amsterdam Arena outfit, and winning the Eredivisie title in his first year. In January 2006, Escude signed for Sevilla FC in La Liga, for €1.5 million. His league debut came on 11 February as he played nine minutes in a 4–0 win at Andalusia neighbours Cadiz CF. Escude became an essential defensive unit in the following years for Sevilla, helping it conquer a total of five titles. In March 2005, Escude was called to the French national team for two 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Israel, but eventually did not make his debut; his first game was on 11 October 2006, playing as left back against Faroe Islands for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying stage