In February 1930, aged just 16 and a half, Jean Nicolas made his first-team debut against US Quevilly. A few weeks later, he scored a decisive 1-0 victory over HAC. Alongside his teammates in the “machine-gun line”, he helped make the FCR one of the most feared attacks of the decade. He is still the club’s all-time top scorer, with 330 goals in 239 games! His most memorable season was 1933-1934, when he scored 54 goals. Jean Nicolas also holds the record for the most goals scored in a single D1 match: seven, on May 1, 1938 against VAFC (9-1)!
At the same time, within ten years he had established himself as one of France’s finest internationals. Twenty-five times selected for France, he took part in two World Cups and scored 21 goals.