Lucas Digne

1.1. Childhood and Education

Lucas Digne was born on 20 July 1993 in Meaux, Seine-et-Marne, France. His early football journey began at local youth clubs, where he started playing at a young age. He spent time developing his skills at US Mareuil-sur-Ourcq from 1999 to 2002, followed by US Crépy-en-Valois from 2002 to 2005.

1.2. Youth Career

In 2005, Digne joined the youth academy of Lille, where he continued his development until 2011. During his time in Lille's youth system, he honed his abilities as a left-back, preparing for his transition into professional football.

2.1. Lille

Digne finished his youth development at Lille, signing his first professional contract with the club on 27 July 2010, a three-year deal valid until June 2013. In January 2012, he extended his contract with Lille until 2016.

Ahead of the 2011-12 season, Digne was permanently promoted to the senior team and was assigned the number 3 shirt. He made his professional debut on 26 October 2011 in a 6-1 victory over Sedan in the last 16 of the Coupe de la Ligue. His Ligue 1 debut came on 28 January 2012, playing the final two minutes of a 3-0 home win against Saint-Étienne at the Stadium Nord Lille Metropole. He made a total of 16 league appearances in his debut season as the defending champions finished third.

Digne became a regular starter in the 2012-13 season. On 23 February 2013, he helped Lille take the lead in a 3-1 away win at Ajaccio when his cross was deflected in, though he was later sent off for a foul on Matthieu Chalmé. He scored his first professional goal on 7 April, converting a penalty in a 5-0 home victory over Lorient. Two weeks later, he scored again to equalize in a 2-1 comeback win at Bastia.

2.2. Paris Saint-Germain

On 17 July 2013, Digne signed a five-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain for a reported fee of around 15.00 M EUR. He was an unused substitute on 3 August as PSG won the 2013 Trophée des Champions with a 2-1 victory over Bordeaux in Gabon. He made his debut for the club on 13 September in a 2-0 win against the same opponents, as manager Laurent Blanc rotated his squad ahead of a UEFA Champions League match. Throughout his time at PSG, Digne primarily served as a backup to Brazilian veteran Maxwell, struggling to secure a regular starting spot.

In the 2014 Trophée des Champions, Digne played the full 90 minutes as PSG defeated Guingamp 2-0 in Beijing. The Parisians achieved a domestic quadruple in the 2014-15 season, winning all four domestic honours, with Digne being an unused substitute in their Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue final victories.

2.3. Roma (loan)

On 26 August 2015, Italian Serie A club Roma signed Digne from PSG on a season-long loan deal for 2.50 M EUR, with an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season. He made his debut five days later, playing the entire match in a 2-1 victory against title holders Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico. During the match, he blew a sarcastic kiss at opponent Roberto Pereyra and advised him to check the scoreboard, a gesture that drew comparisons to Roma captain Francesco Totti. Roma finished third in Serie A, and Digne publicly expressed his desire for the loan move to be made permanent. However, a permanent transfer did not materialize due to disagreements between Roma and Paris Saint-Germain, despite his strong performance under his former Lille coach, Rudi Garcia.

Digne scored his first goal for the Giallorossi on 26 September with a close-range header in a 5-1 home win over Carpi, having earlier assisted Kostas Manolas in opening his account for the club. Against the same opponents on 12 February 2016, he returned from injury to score from 98 ft ^{(30 m)} in a 3-1 win. On 17 April, he opened the scoring in a 3-3 draw at Atalanta.

2.4. Barcelona

On 13 July 2016, Digne joined Spanish La Liga side Barcelona on a five-year deal. He wore the number 19 shirt during his time at Barcelona. The transfer fee was 16.50 M EUR (£13.80 M GBP), with a potential increase to 20.50 M EUR (£17.10 M GBP) based on individual and team results. He made his first appearance for Barcelona on 14 August 2016 in a 2-0 victory against Sevilla in the 2016 Supercopa de España first leg, coming on as a 27th-minute substitute for compatriot Jérémy Mathieu.

In his first season at the Camp Nou, Digne played 26 games in total, scoring once in a 7-0 (8-1 aggregate) win over Segunda División B club Hércules in the last 32 of the Copa del Rey on 21 December 2016. Barcelona won the Copa del Rey that season, with Digne an unused substitute in the final on 27 May 2017, a 3-1 win over Alavés.

Digne played 20 times in the 2017-18 season as Barcelona won the league and cup double under new manager Ernesto Valverde. On 18 October 2017, he scored from Lionel Messi's assist in a 3-1 home win over Olympiacos in the Champions League group stage. Despite his contributions, Digne struggled to consistently break into the starting lineup due to the strong competition from Jordi Alba, often serving as a backup. He started 35 out of 46 appearances for the club. After being left out of France's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Digne requested to leave Barcelona, which the club eventually granted, despite initial reluctance to sell him.

2.5. Everton

Digne joined English club Everton on 1 August 2018, signing a five-year deal for an initial fee of £18.00 M GBP. He wore the number 12 shirt for Everton. He made his debut ten days later, replacing double goalscorer and fellow debutant Richarlison for the last four minutes of a 2-2 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers. On his first start on 29 August in a 3-1 EFL Cup win against Rotherham United, he assisted a goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Four days later, he made his first Premier League start for Everton in a home game against Huddersfield Town, assisting Calvert-Lewin's headed equalizer in a 1-1 draw.

By the start of October, Digne had established himself as Everton's first-choice left-back, surpassing veteran Leighton Baines with impressive statistics in crosses and interceptions. He scored his first goal for the club on 10 December, curling in a free kick in the sixth minute of stoppage time to secure a 2-2 draw against Watford. Sixteen days later, he scored twice in a 5-1 win at Burnley, with a free kick and a 30 yd shot. On 29 January 2019, he was sent off in a 1-0 win at Huddersfield for denying Adama Diakhaby a goalscoring opportunity with a foul. Digne's impressive first season at Everton concluded with individual honours as he was named the Club's Player of the Season, as voted for by supporters, and shared the Players' Player of the Season award with midfielder Idrissa Gueye. He was widely regarded as one of the best left-backs in the Premier League at this time.

On 25 October 2020, Digne was sent off in a 2-0 loss at Southampton for a foul on Kyle Walker-Peters. The referee, Kevin Friend, recorded it as "serious foul play," which typically results in a three-game suspension, but the ban was reduced to one match on appeal. In January 2022, Digne informed Everton manager Rafael Benítez that he no longer wished to play for the club and sought a transfer, following a tactical disagreement with the manager in December 2021, which led to him being benched.

2.6. Aston Villa

On 13 January 2022, Aston Villa announced the signing of Digne from Everton for a fee of £25.00 M GBP, with a contract until 2026. He made his debut two days later, in a 2-2 home draw with Manchester United. On 22 May 2022, in the final match of the 2021-22 Premier League season against Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium, Digne assisted Matty Cash's opening goal in a match Aston Villa ultimately lost 3-2. This match was crucial for Manchester City, who were only one point ahead of Liverpool in the title race, and Digne's assist contributed to Aston Villa's 2-0 lead before City's dramatic comeback with three goals in five minutes secured them the league title.

On 23 August 2022, Digne scored his first goal for Aston Villa in a 4-1 victory at Bolton Wanderers in the second round of the EFL Cup. On 21 September 2022, while on international duty with France, Digne suffered a stress fracture to his ankle, returning to action on 29 October as a second-half substitute in a 4-0 defeat to Newcastle United. On 6 November, Digne scored his first league goal for Aston Villa in a 3-1 home victory over Manchester United, in Unai Emery's first game as manager, a match that marked Emery's successful debut after Steven Gerrard's dismissal.

Amidst doubts over his future due to manager Unai Emery's initial preference for the more attacking Àlex Moreno as left-back, Digne assisted three goals on 23 August 2023 in a 5-0 win at Hibernian in a UEFA Europa Conference League qualifier. A month later, he scored in the group stage of the same competition, albeit in a 3-2 loss at Legia Warsaw. For the 2023-24 Premier League season, Digne played in 46 of the club's 56 matches, regaining his first-choice status after Moreno's injury. In the 2024-25 Premier League season, despite the arrival of Ian Maatsen from Chelsea, Digne maintained his position as the starting left-back, with Emery recognizing his improved defensive contributions. On 2 March 2024, Digne scored his second league goal for Aston Villa, a late winner in a 3-2 victory against Luton Town.

3.1. Youth Career

Digne was a French youth international, representing his nation at the U16, U17, and U18 levels. He played for the U19 team in the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, where France reached the semi-finals. During a match against the U19 Netherlands team, he scored from a free-kick, contributing to a 6-0 victory.

At the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey, Digne was a crucial member of the France U20 team that won the title, playing every match of the tournament. He also represented the U21 squad.

3.2. Senior Career

Digne received his first call-up for the senior side in February 2014, ahead of a friendly match against the Netherlands on 5 March. He debuted in that match, coming on as a half-time substitute for Patrice Evra in a 2-0 win at the Stade de France.

In June 2014, manager Didier Deschamps named Digne as one of 23 members of the French squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, wearing the number 17 shirt. His sole appearance for the eventual quarter-finalists was in the third group game against Ecuador, where he suffered a foul that earned Ecuadorian captain Antonio Valencia a straight red card.

Digne was selected for the French squad that finished as runners-up on home soil at UEFA Euro 2016, but he did not play any matches during the tournament. He was placed on standby for the squad at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

At UEFA Euro 2020, Digne came on at half-time in the 2-2 group stage draw with Portugal due to Lucas Hernandez's injury, having played a full match against Hungary in the second group stage game. Minutes later, he too withdrew from the match due to a thigh muscle injury. These injuries at left-back forced Deschamps to use an untested 3-5-2 formation in the last 16 against Switzerland, which France ultimately lost on penalties.

Deschamps did not select Digne for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, despite picking nine defenders for his squad, stating that he preferred versatile defenders who could play both central and wide positions. In September 2022, Digne was initially called up as a replacement for the injured Theo Hernández for a UEFA Nations League match, but then suffered an ankle injury in training and was replaced by Adrien Truffert. In September 2024, Digne made his return to the national team after a two-year absence, being called up as a replacement for the injured Ferland Mendy. On 17 November 2024, in a UEFA Nations League match against Italy, Digne was involved in all three of France's goals in a 3-1 victory, with a direct free-kick that led to an own goal and two assists for Adrien Rabiot.

6.1. Club

• Ligue 1
  • Winner: 2013-14, 2014-15 (with Paris Saint-Germain)
• Coupe de France
  • Winner: 2014-15 (with Paris Saint-Germain)
• Coupe de la Ligue
  • Winner: 2013-14, 2014-15 (with Paris Saint-Germain)
• Trophée des Champions
  • Winner: 2013, 2014, 2015 (with Paris Saint-Germain)
• La Liga
  • Winner: 2017-18 (with Barcelona)
• Copa del Rey
  • Winner: 2016-17, 2017-18 (with Barcelona)
• Supercopa de España
  • Winner: 2016 (with Barcelona)

6.2. International

• FIFA U-20 World Cup
  • Winner: 2013 (with France U20)
• UEFA Nations League
  • Winner: 2020-21 (with France)
• UEFA Euro
  • Runner-up: 2016 (with France)

6.3. Individual

• Everton Player of the Season: 2018-19
• Everton Players' Player of the Season: 2018-19 (shared with Idrissa Gueye)