You signed for Lyon a year and a half ago before joining Annecy this winter. Is this a special match for you against the Greens?
“It’s a great challenge for me because Saint-Étienne is a rival of Lyon. Today I’m in Annecy and it’s going to be a great match to play. The most important thing will be to take the three points. »
How do you feel after a few weeks in Annecy?
“Honestly, I feel good. The coach (Laurent Guyot), the players, it was everything I was looking for. It’s incredible. »
Why did you choose to come to Annecy on loan for six months?
“Because the coach really wanted me. It’s a good club, with a good ranking, a very good spirit. It’s a family club. The coach makes me play a lot. That’s really what I wanted. It’s a great club to come to as a young player. »
There was a lot of disappointment on Monday after the defeat against Troyes (2-1). What state of mind is the team in before going to Saint-Étienne?
“He’s still the same, even though we lost. We played well but I think we lacked concentration at times, which cost us two goals. The next match is very important to stay close to the top 5.”
You have two defeats in a row and now we have to go to Saint-Étienne. The program is not simple…
“We know it’s going to be a difficult match but we will give our best. It was already very complicated against Le Mans (3-0 defeat) and Troyes (2-1 defeat) but we should not draw conclusions before the match takes place. It’s never pleasant to fall back in the rankings. We are now ninth but there are still seven games to go and we still have every chance of reaching the play-offs. »
You have never played at Geoffroy-Guichard which is one of the hottest stadiums in France. What do you know about it?
“I already went there with Lyon but I remained on the bench. It was a big match, there was a big atmosphere. I don’t think it will be such an atmosphere against Annecy but it will still be a great atmosphere. It’s a good stadium to go and play. But I’m going to go there without pressure, I never put pressure on myself. »
Did you quickly grasp the rivalry between OL and Saint-Étienne when you joined Lyon?
“Yes, the first thing they told me when I arrived was that I couldn’t wear green clothes. I know all that but it will be another match on Saturday. »
But you wore green shoes this Wednesday in training…
“(He laughs) No, I don’t think they’re really green! But I definitely won’t be wearing them this weekend for the match! »
Have you received calls from your OL teammates?
“Yes, they called me yesterday (Tuesday). They wished me a good match and said that a lot of people in Lyon were going to watch the match. They told me to do my best, that they hoped I would score one or more goals. They always wish me the best, we are in contact all the time. »
What do you think of your first matches with FC Annecy?
“Honestly, it’s really positive. I’m very happy to have been able to play more professional matches so early. In Lyon, I was in the pro group but I didn’t play as much as I would have liked. I know that goals and assists are very important (Editor’s note: he hasn’t had any statistics yet), that people look at that a lot but it’s also important to see the other things that I do on the pitch, notably the races, and I try to respect the coach’s instructions as much as possible. »
Have you set yourself an individual goal in terms of goals and assists?
“I don’t have a specific goal. The most important thing is the collective objective of reaching the play-offs. When you’re a striker, people like to know how many goals you score, how many passes you give, but my focus is only on collective goals. »
What do you think of the level of Ligue 2?
“It’s a very tough championship, very physical, with long balls. I would say it’s not as good as Ligue 1 technically, but physically it’s close. You have to be really well prepared to play in this championship, especially when you are a young player. »
What relationship do you have with your trainer Laurent Guyot?
“I have an extraordinary relationship with the coach. He talks to me a lot, tells me what I need to improve and, at times, allows me to give my opinion. It’s going very well. »
You are a very young player, what do you dream of for your career?
“My dream is to play for the national team. I can play for three countries (Editor’s note: England, Portugal, Venezuela). I play for England at youth level, we’ll see if things change in the future, you never know. I want to play in the Champions League obviously. If you ask me, individually, the Ballon d’Or is obviously a goal as is the case for all young players my age. »
