A trio of former Premier League stars rolled back the years by running riot in OGC Nice's thumping 6-1 win over Montpellier on Wednesday night.
The French outfit, who are owned by INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has become home to a host of familiar faces over the past few months: including Ross Barkley, Nicolas Pepe and Aaron Ramsey.
Barkley and Ramsay both rose to prominence in England while Pepe became one of the most expensive player's in Premier League history after signing for Arsenal in a club record £72million transfer back in 2019. All three are now plying their trade in Ligue 1 after falling on tough times - but they had a night to remember against Montpellier.
Barkley and Pepe bagged a brace apiece as Nice thrashed their Ligue 1 rivals in midweek, while Ramsey also got in on the act with an assist.
The 6-1 win came just days after Nice dispensed with the services of former boss Lucien Favre, who paid the ultimate price following a shock defeat against third-tier minnows Le Puy Foot 43 in the French Cup.
Favre returned for a second spell at Nice in the summer but has now been temporarily replaced at the helm by Didier Digard, who guided Nice to just their sixth league win of the season.
It remains to be seen if Digard will remain in the role long-term, but whoever succeeds Favre will have a host of talent at their disposal. The likes of Pepe and Barkley have caught the eye in recent weeks while Ramsey is also eager to salvage his career following an underwhelming stint at Rangers last term.
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Barkley, 29, who was released by Chelsea following a sorry stint at Stamford Bridge, has struggled to make an impact since joining Nice as a free agent in the summer. But the midfielder has now turned a corner after plundering three goals in his last two matches.
If Barkley had struggled up until recent weeks, then Pepe, 27, has thrived since crossing the channel: the Arsenal misfit has now registered six goals and an assist in 15 league outings as he bids to rebuild his reputation following his disastrous stint in north London.
Ramsey, another former Arsenal star, is also hoping a spell in France can improve his fortunes. The 32-year-old failed to make an impression on loan at Rangers last year and has only just returned to the fold following Wales' disappointing World Cup campaign.
Nice also have other familiar faces on their books: former Leicester shot-stopper Kasper Schmeichel joined them back in the summer and ex- Fulham full-back Joe Bryan is also a member of a squad which has massively underwhelmed this term. Nice now sit 10th in Ligue 1.
