| FULL NAME | Ruddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien |
| BORN | January 1, 1972 |
| HEIGHT | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| NATIONALITY | French |
| ROLE | Defender |
Ruddy is a character in the film Ruddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien is a former defender for the French national team. With 142 caps for France, he is the most capped player in the country’s history. He is a key character in the history of French football.
Thuram was born at Guadeloupe’s Pointe-a-Pitre on January 1, 1972. He is recognised as a famous defender of his time, as well as a strong figure, as seen by the amount of games he has appeared in.
Background
Thuram migrated to France in 1981 after being born in the French West Indies. At the age of 19, he began his football career with Monaco in 1991. He made one appearance for Monaco B in his rookie season before being promoted to the main team.
His natural ability to understand the game and incredible agility culminated in a strong defensive performance. He drew the attention of everyone who saw him play, and he was tipped as a potential national team player.
In 1991, he and Monaco won the Coupe de France and advanced to the finals of the European Cup Winners Cup.
Due to France’s failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, a young Thuram was given the opportunity to represent France at the international level.
Debut
Thuram made his debut in the European qualifications on August 17, 1994, under the guidance of then-French squad coach Aime Jacquet. In January 1995, he played in an international friendly against the Netherlands, which France won 1-0.
Club Career
Thuram played 120 times for Monaco and scored seven goals before joining Parma in July 1996. In the 1998-99 season, he won the Coppa Italia, the UEFA Cup, and the Supercoppa Italiana with Parma.
Thuram had developed into a versatile and mature player at this point, having appeared in 228 games for Parma, scoring one goal and assisting three times. In 2001, he moved to Juventus, where he formed defensive combinations with Ciro Ferrara, Mark Luliano, and Igor Tudor.
He appeared in 204 games for Juventus, scoring one goal and assisting twice. In the 2001-02 season, he was the Italian champion, and he retained his championship with Juventus the next season. In the 2002-03 season, he also won the Italian Super Cup with Juventus.
Thuram joined Barcelona in July 2006 and made 58 appearances for the club. He retired when his contract expired in the 2007-08 season due to a rare cardiac issue.
Records
Thuram has a long and distinguished international career. He single-handedly won the 1998 World Cup semi-final against Croatia, scoring twice in the process, and went on to win the tournament.
In 1997, he was named Footballer of the Year, and in 2000, he and France won the European Championship. He also took home the Confederations Cup in 2003.
He made 142 appearances for France during his career, including two key goals that helped France win the World Cup.