Stéphane Ruffier

Stéphane Ruffier

Ruffier with Saint-Étienne in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Stéphane Ruffier
Date of birth	(1986-09-27) 27 September 1986 (age 30)
Place of birth	Bayonne, France
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team	Saint-Étienne
Number	16
Youth career
1992–2002	Bayonne
2002–2005	Monaco
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2011	Monaco	113	(0)
2005–2006	→ Bayonne (loan)	38	(0)
2011–	Saint-Étienne	214	(0)
National team‡
2007–2008	France U21	8	(0)
2010–	France	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 05:08, 9 April 2017 (UTC). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 8 August 2015

Stéphane Ruffier (French pronunciation: ​[stefan ʁyfje]; born 27 September 1986) is a French football player who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club AS Saint-Étienne. He previously played for AS Monaco from 2005–2011 serving as the first-choice goalkeeper and captain of the club. Ruffier is also a French international and made his senior debut on 11 August 2010 in a friendly match against Norway.

Ruffier was born on 27 September 1986 in Bayonne to Jean-François Ruffier, a world champion in the sport of Basque pelota, and Patricia Ruffier. He has two sisters, one of which is a figure skater. Ruffier is of Basque descent having been born and raised in the heart of French Basque Country. Despite emulating his father's skills in Basque pelota as a child, Ruffier grew an attraction to the sport of football and joined the football section of the Aviron Bayonnais sporting club at the age of six. He entered the academy initially as an outfield player and was training to become a striker. However, at the age of eight, due to a goalkeeper shortage at the academy, Ruffier was asked by a youth coach to try out for the position. The transition was a success and, by the age of 13, Ruffier had acquired the physical skills and traits needed to excel at the position.