Gilles Rousset

Gilles Rousset
Born	(1963-08-22) August 22, 1963 Hyères, France
Occupation(s)	Professional footballer (retired), Goalkeeper
Years active	1982–2001
Known for	Goalkeeper for Sochaux, Lyon, Marseille, Stade Rennais, Heart of Midlothian; French international; UEFA Euro 1992 squad member

Gilles Rousset (born 22 August 1963) is a retired French professional footballer who specialized as a goalkeeper.

His professional journey started at Sochaux in 1982, where he remained for eight seasons and appeared in more than 100 games before moving to Lyon in 1990. At Lyon, Rousset secured the position of primary goalkeeper, participating in 98 matches across three campaigns.

During his tenure there, he received two selections for the French national squad and was included in the roster for the 1992 European Championship, although he did not take part in any matches.

In 1993, Rousset transferred to Marseille, who were then reigning European champions but were involved in a corruption scandal. With emerging talent Fabien Barthez ahead of him, Rousset did not make any competitive appearances. After Marseille faced enforced relegation in 1994 due to match-fixing allegations, Rousset was among the key players sold off.

He spent the 1994–95 season at Stade Rennais before signing with Scotland’s Heart of Midlothian in 1995. Throughout six seasons with Hearts, he played a pivotal role in elevating the club from relegation struggles to becoming strong contenders domestically, challenging the traditional dominance of the Old Firm. His sole major trophy came with Hearts—the Scottish Cup in 1998—which ended the club’s 36-year wait for a significant title and solidified his legendary status at the club.

Honours

Heart of Midlothian

• Scottish Cup (1): 1997–98

External links

• London Hearts player profile
• Official profile at French Football Federation