Four games, two goals, one assist. These are not the statistics of a man coming out of nine months of effective unemployment, which was where Hatem Ben Arfa found himself for most of this year. Since joining Nice, he has been reminding fans how thrilling he can be.

The hype

Ben Arfa has a high profile among the football-following French public. He became a star before he was 13, as one of the apprentices in a popular documentary series, A la Clairefontaine, followed from 1999 as they pursued careers through the elite academy.

Strong start

Ben Arfa was the most successful of that intake, making his senior debut for Lyon aged 17. But even in his teenage years, questions arose about his temperament. A tetchy relationship developed between Ben Arfa and his contemporary at Lyon, Karim Benzema, though he contributed to four successive Ligue 1 titles at the club.

Maverick

In 2008, Ben Arfa joined Marseille and won another Ligue 1 title in 2010. But a rift developed and he left for Newcastle United that summer on bad terms with the club. It would be five years, and two further fall-outs with employers, before he returned to France.

Injury

Ben Arfa’s first season at Newcastle was hampered by a broken leg. Once he recovered, he established himself as a dazzling presence, though not consistently enough for manager Alan Pardew. By the end of the 2013/14 season, Pardew was ready to let him leave.

Fall and rise

There followed a loan spell at Hull City, which ended with a first-half substitution against Manchester United and a condemnation of his work-rate from manager Steve Bruce. That was last November. Nice tried to sign Ben Arfa in January, but as he had played for two clubs in 2014/15, they could not. He thought of quitting at age 27 but dedicated himself to honouring Nice’s interest. He signed for them in July. His goal against Caen three weeks ago, a powerful strike after dribbling past four defenders, was vintage Ben Arfa. France is loving having him back, even if his history makes many wonder how long the good times will last.