Laurent Ciman

Laurent Franco Ciman is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for the French club Dijon and the Belgium national football team. He was born on 5th August 1985 and hails from Farciennes in Belgium. He primarily plays as a centre-back but also has been used as a right-back in a couple of occasions.

A ball playing defender, he is known for his ability to launch long balls from the defence to initiate an attack and put the opposition under pressure. Not the most mobile of defenders, he relies on his reading of the game to make interceptions and block shots.

A very experienced player, Ciman is a capable leader and has a positive influence on his teammates.

Background

He is the academy product of Sporting de Charleroi, playing for their youth team between 1996 to 1999 and again from 2002 to 2004. He also played for local club RFC Farciennes and RACS Couillet and Olympic Charleroi before joining the youth setup of Sporting de Charleroi.

Debut

Not exactly a regular in the youth teams of Belgium, he played 6 games for the Belgium U21 between 2004-2008. He was also part of the Belgium squad that came fourth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

He made his senior national debut on 19th May 2010 in an international friendly match against Bulgaria. He came on in the 66th minute as a replacement for Alderweireld in the right-back position. Belgium went on to win the match 2-1.

Since then, Ciman has been regularly called up by the Belgium national team. He was part of the squad that played at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and also the UEFA Euro 2016 in France.

Rise to Glory

Ciman first tasted success playing for Standard Liege in the 2010-11 season as he helped the club win the Belgian Cup. His solid performances for Liege saw him called up for the national team. He also played European football for Standard Liege in the UEFA Champions League.

He again came in the spotlight in the 2015 season on Major League Soccer as he shone in his debut season with Montreal Impact.

Club Career

Ciman has played for the likes of Sporting Charleroi, Club Brugge, Kortrijk, Standard Liege, Montreal Impact and Los Angeles F.C.

Captaincy

Ciman has wore the arm band for both Standard Liege and Montreal Impact.

Achievements

He has won the Belgian Cup with Standard Liege. He has also won numerous individual achievements too in the MLS. He was adjudged as the MLS Defender of the Year and was named in the MLS Best XI team in 2015.