‘I played in the Premier League and Champions League but now I drive a taxi’

This defender played in the Champions League semi-finals before moving to England to play in the Premier League but he has since found happiness as a taxi driver

Lilian Martin enjoyed half a season at Derby County in 2001, having already clinched the French title with Monaco and featured in Champions League action. Yet the former defender now earns his living as a taxi driver in Nice.

Martin kicked off his footballing journey in France’s lower divisions before signing for AS Nancy. Following relegation in his second year, he switched to Dijon and subsequently USL Dunkerque, where he remained for three campaigns.

The full-back’s major opportunity arrived when he joined Monaco in 1996. During his time there, he secured the French league crown and featured in a Champions League semi-final clash against Zinedine Zidane’s Juventus.

A spell with Marseille came in 1999, before his move across the Channel saw him make nine Premier League outings for Derby. Following his retirement in 2002, Martin faced difficulties and separated from the mother of his eldest children.

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A restaurant business also collapsed. Though the 54-year-old has since discovered contentment behind the wheel of a taxi, influenced by his current partner’s father.

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Reflecting on life after football to L’Equipe, Martin revealed: “I had three or four years where I lost my way a bit. Then I met a woman from Nice who got me back on track. Her father was a taxi driver.”

Martin admits he initially attempted coaching, though it didn’t suit him. He began with Monaco’s youth set-up before moving on to work with academy players in Cannes.

“Between the parents and everything else, I had reached saturation point,” he reflected on his coaching career. “What’s more, you need a Bac+48 qualification,” he quipped, jokingly implying that becoming a manager would require 48 years beyond a bachelor’s degree.

Then taxi driving presented itself, and he’s remained in the profession ever since, having been encouraged by his new father-in-law. Martin recalled: “He said to me, ‘Try taxi driving, you’ll see, you’ll love it.’

“And I said, ‘I don’t want a boss. I want to remain free.’ I passed the exam. We started working one week each to get me used to it. And little by little, it happened. And now, since January 1 [2026], it’s been me 100 per cent.

“I see lots of people during the festival and Grand Prix periods… I’ve taken on former footballers too. I often bump into Ludovic Giuly and I’ve driven Djibril Cisse. There’s [ex-team-mate] Sonny Anderson, who didn’t recognise me with my white hair!”

Martin revealed his lengthiest journey to date behind the wheel of his German sedan. The ex-Derby player confessed he’s ferried passengers as far afield as Italy, notably Milan.

“Milan. Quite a trek,” Martin added. “In cases like that, we don’t use the meter. We agree on a price with the customer before setting off. Taxi driving is a bit like football. Everyone sticks together, but if someone can take advantage of you, they will. So you still have to keep your eyes open.”

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