 He made his first league appearances in the 1997–98 season.However, by the end of the following season, he had made only twelve further appearances and was sent on loan to Ligue 2 club Châteauroux for the 1999–2000 season, before making the move permanent for the next season.After establishing himself as a regular for Châteauroux, he made the step back up to Ligue 1 with Troyes in January 2002.