Rami, 35, had last played for Boavista against Gil Vicente on May 19 and the centre-half was delighted to keep a clean sheet on his first Troyes appearance in a 0-0 draw. The former Marseille defender said: "I felt good for my first match. It wasn't easy for me as I knew there'd be expectations and I didn't know any of my team-mates or the tactics. I got 90 minutes under my belt and that's the most important thing for me.

"I was happy to play for the reserves. When coach Laurent Batlles proposed it to me I accepted with pleasure. I need match time as I want to be ready to play in Ligue 1. I'm going to need time. Mentally I am ready. The body needs to follow and physically I'll get better, little by little, over time."

"People are asking questions"

A Ligue 1 Uber Eats champion with Lille in 2011, Rami continued: "I don't know what position I'll play in in the three-man defence. I feel at my best playing centrally. Despite being 35, nearly 36, I'm an active player and I like covering and running a defence. People are asking questions based on my last two seasons and my age. They wonder what I can really bring to the party. I'm impatient to be at 100% to be one of the best centre-halves in Ligue 1."

Batlles commented: "What pleased me was his enthusiasm to play, to talk to the others, be a leader. He played simply and was applied. He also needs to rediscover his long passing game and work on the way we like to play."

>> INTERVIEW: Rami: 'Ligue 1 Uber Eats has turned the corner'