{{short description|French footballer (born 2003)}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Nicolas Pays | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2003|7|7|df=y}} | birth_place = Le Puy-en-Velay, France | height = 1.80 m | position = Attacking midfielder | currentclub = Montpellier | clubnumber = 18 | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2015 | youthclubs1 = US Blavozy | youthyears2 = 2015–2018 | youthclubs2 = Le Puy | youthyears3 = 2018–2022 | youthclubs3 = Clermont | years1 = 2021–2022 | clubs1 = Clermont B | caps1 = 8 | goals1 = 1 | years2 = 2022–2023 | clubs2 = US Blavozy | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 2023–2025 | clubs3 = Le Puy | caps3 = 36 | goals3 = 8 | years4 = 2025– | clubs4 = Montpellier | caps4 = 39 | goals4 = 4 | club-update = 11 May 2026 }}
'''Nicolas Pays''' (born 7 July 2003) is a French professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for {{French football updater|Montpellier}} club Montpellier.<ref>{{Soccerway|id=nicolas-pays/809785}}</ref>
== Career == Born in Le Puy-en-Velay, Pays grew up in the nearby commune of Blavozy, where he played for local team US Blavozy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 January 2025 |title=Qui est Nicolas Pays, la nouvelle recrue du MHSC ? |url=https://onefootball.com/en/news/qui-est-nicolas-pays-la-nouvelle-recrue-du-mhsc-40635547 |access-date=1 March 2025 |website=AllezPaillade.com |publisher=OneFootball |language=Fr}}</ref> In 2015, he signed for Le Puy, before joining the academy of Clermont in 2018.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=15 June 2023 |title=Nicolas Pays : de Panassac à Massot |url=https://lepuyfoot43.fr/nicolas-pays-de-panassac-a-massot/ |access-date=1 March 2025 |publisher=Le Puy Foot 43 Auvergne |language=Fr}}</ref> He went on to play for Clermont's reserve side in the Championnat National 3 prior to returning to his hometown club US Blavozy for the 2022–23 Régional 1 season.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Georgeault |first=Nicolas |date=29 January 2025 |title=Nicolas Pays, le numéro 10 du Puy Foot, va rejoindre Montpellier en Ligue 1 |url=https://www.francebleu.fr/sports/football/nicolas-pays-le-numero-10-du-puy-foot-va-rejoindre-montpellier-en-ligue-1-9938175 |access-date=1 March 2025 |website=France Bleu |language=Fr}}</ref> In 2023, Pays returned to Championnat National 2 club Le Puy.<ref name=":0" />
On 21 December 2024, in the round of 64 of the Coupe de France, Pays scored in a 4–0 Le Puy victory over Ligue 1 club Montpellier.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jacquet |first=Lucas |date=28 January 2025 |title=Nicolas Pays va s'engager avec un club de Ligue 1 et quitter Le Puy Foot |url=https://www.leveil.fr/puy-en-velay-43000/sports/nicolas-pays-va-s-engager-avec-un-club-de-ligue-1-et-quitter-le-puy-foot_14632726/ |access-date=1 March 2025 |website={{Interlanguage link|L'Éveil de la Haute-Loire|lt=L'Éveil de la Haute-Loire|fr|L'Éveil de la Haute-Loire}} |language=Fr}}</ref> His performance impressed Montpellier head coach Jean-Louis Gasset.<ref name=":1" /> On 29 January 2025, Pays signed for Montpellier for no transfer fee.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 January 2025 |title=Nicolas Pays rejoint le MHSC ! |url=https://mhscfoot.com/articles/2024-2025/equipe-pro/nicolas-pays-rejoint-le-mhsc/ |access-date=1 March 2025 |publisher=Montpellier HSC |language=Fr}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> He made his Montpellier and Ligue 1 debut as a substitute in a 2–0 defeat away to Strasbourg on 9 February 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jacquet |first=Lucas |date=9 February 2025 |title=Football : Nicolas Pays (ex-Puy Foot) a disputé son premier match de Ligue 1 avec le MHSC |url=https://www.leveil.fr/puy-en-velay-43000/sports/football-nicolas-pays-ex-puy-foot-a-dispute-son-premier-match-de-ligue-1-avec-le-mhsc_14638848/ |access-date=1 March 2025 |website={{Interlanguage link|L'Éveil de la Haute-Loire|lt=L'Éveil de la Haute-Loire|fr|L'Éveil de la Haute-Loire}} |language=Fr}}</ref>
== Career statistics == {{updated|match played 19 April 2025}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |Clermont B |2021–22 |National 3 |8||1||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||8||1 |- |rowspan="3"|Le Puy |2023–24 |CFA 2 |21||5||7||2||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||28||7 |- |2024–25 |CFA 2 |15||3||6||3||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||21||6 |- !colspan="2"|Total !36!!8!!13!!5!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!49!!13 |- |Montpellier |2024–25 |Ligue 1 |9||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||9||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !53!!9!!13!!5!!0!!0!!0!!0!!66!!14 |}
== Honours == '''US Blavozy'''
* Coupe de la Haute-Loire: 2022–23<ref name=":1" />
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Montpellier HSC squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pays, Nicolas}} Category:2003 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Le Puy-en-Velay Category:Footballers from Haute-Loire Category:French men's footballers Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Le Puy Foot 43 Auvergne players Category:Clermont Foot 63 players Category:Montpellier HSC players Category:Ligue 1 players Category:Championnat National 2 players Category:Championnat National 3 players Category:Régional 1 players