Born in
Valence, Drôme, Laville spent the first ten years of his career with
Lyon, and helped them win the
Ligue 1 title in 2002 and 2003 as well as the
Trophée des Champions in
2002. Laville signed with
Premier League club
Bolton Wanderers in 2003 and instantly slotted into the first team, forming a successful defensive partnership with
Guðni Bergsson, despite a sending off in a memorable game against
Arsenal. He later signed permanently for Bolton, but a serious leg injury suffered several games into the
2003–04 season, against
Middlesbrough, put him out of action for over a year and effectively ended his top-level playing career as he struggled to regain fitness. After leaving Bolton at the end of the 2004–05 season, Laville eventually returned to fitness and briefly played for
Coventry City before returning to France, reuniting with former Bolton teammate,
Pierre-Yves André at
Bastia. His contract expired at the end of the 2006–07 season and he subsequently retired. ==International career==