Julien Brellier

Early career

Brellier started his career at French club Montpellier and was recruited by Italian giants Internazionale in 2000. He made a limited number of appearances with Inter and was loaned out to Lecco and Legnano before joining Venezia, initially under a co-ownership agreement. He played part of the 2004–05 season with Salernitana and was released in June 2005 due to the bankrupt of Venezia.

Heart of Midlothian

Brellier impressed manager George Burley and was signed on a two-year deal by the Edinburgh side in August. Brellier quickly became a firm favourite with the Hearts fans: his unspectacular, diligent covering role in midfield allowing fellow midfielders Paul Hartley and Rudi Skácel greater attacking freedom, from which they scored a combined total of 30 league goals during the 2005–06 season. By the latter part of that season a giant French flag, with the words "Le Juge" emblazoned across it, became a regular spectacle at Hearts' home stadium Tynecastle, while the crowd took to singing his name to the tune of Verdi's La donna è mobile. Despite Brellier being one of the most popular players at Tynecastle, it was frequently reported in the media that Hearts' owner Vladimir Romanov did not share the supporters' high opinion of him. After the signing of Bruno Aguiar, Brellier was used more often as a substitute and, in an April 2006 interview, he suggested he was unhappy with the treatment he had received. However, in June 2006 it was confirmed that…

Heart of Midlothian Scottish Cup: 2005–06