The tenacious midfielder's standout playing achievement was being an integral part of the LOSC side that did the Ligue1-Coupe de France double in 2011 under Rudi Garcia. Balmont won Ligue 1 in his first season as a professional with Lyon in 2002-2003 and became a much loved fixture on the top division scene, ending his career with four seasons at Dijon.

Eden Hazard, rated by Balmont as the best player he turned out alongside, took to social media to salute his former colleague, posting on Twitter: "I'm proud to have played alongside you! A super teammate and a super bloke! Happy retirement and good luck for the future!"

Balmont played 513 Ligue 1 games and told La Voix du Nord: "I couldn't have imagined receiving so many messages and so many positive things being said about me. I'm really touched. It shows that I left a little mark in football. I have no regrets. I made the most of it, I played 500 games, I only played in Ligue 1 and I really have no regrets!"

Balmont's best years were at LOSC, a club he joined in 2008. He commented: "When Lille contacted me I was at Nice and I could see that LOSC were breaking through. The training ground was exceptional. We finished fourth in the first season. Over time you could tell that there was quality there, a real squad. What I had at Lille was a magnificent atmosphere, a spirit, a squad that worked for each other. We progressed every year through to winning the double in 2011."