Exclusive | Noah Edjouma on his move to Lille: ‘It is certainly a step up. It is what I was looking for. I came here to progress and show my worth.’
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Going into the final day of the Ligue 1 season, Lille OSC find themselves on the podium and in line to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Ahead of their game against AJ Auxerre, Get French Football News, in an interview facilitated by the LFP Media’s international department, spoke to Noah Edjouma (20), who joined the club from Toulouse FC back in the winter transfer window.
How would you summarise your first few months at Lille?
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I would say that it has been a lot about learning and lots of moments of development. I arrived, and I was played straight away during a moment in which we weren’t necessarily playing very well. I managed to settle in, even if I’ve had a little bit less game time since. I am still learning, progressing every day in order to get more game time.
Mentally, how have you dealt with your decreased playing time in recent weeks? Has having experienced players around you helped?
It helps to have experienced players like Thomas Meunier and Olivier Giroud, who speak to you often, both on and off the pitch. They give you little bits of advice on how to adapt, on training, on the environment or even during the match. I have really seen mental progress. I came here to progress and show my worth. It really helps to have players like them in the team.
On Giroud specifically, what is he like?
I think, contrary to what people might think, he is quite chill. He’s pretty cool. He isn’t there to police us but he knows how to help us by giving us advice, especially the young players, by getting us to respect the instructions and the rules as much as possible. He is a good advisor who helps us progress.
I imagine that Benjamin André plays a similar role? He feels like one of the most underrated players in the league…
He has someone who has had a great longevity. I think that we can say that [he is one of the most underrated players in Ligue 1] because every season he has always been one of the best players in the league. For that to be the case across so many years is remarkable.
Have you felt the step up having moved from Toulouse to Lille?
Yeah, I feel as though there has been a step up. It is what I was looking for. I know that this is a club that regularly plays in Europe. That is also something new for me. I played my first minutes in the Europa League this season. It is certainly a step up, but every footballer is looking to make that step. I am happy to be where I am in my career.
And how was that experience in the UEL and playing at a mythic stadium like Villa Park?
For a first away game in the Europa League, it was incredible, a really great atmosphere. We did everything to try and win the game, even if we didn’t get the result that we wanted. But on an individual level, it was a great experience to play in a Premier League stadium.
The elimination from the Europa League was, of course, a disappointment for LOSC, but in the league, results have been excellent in recent weeks. What was the turning point?
What I noted in that difficult period was that we were playing well, but it was just small details that meant that we couldn’t get the goal that we needed. Then it turned, they started going in, starting at Angers (22nd February, 1-0). And then from there, we managed to stay at a high level to get to where we are today. We haven’t let up.
For a long time, you have been hunting down the podium places. Going into the last game, you are now being chased. How is the atmosphere around the dressing room this week? Is it a relief to be in such a position?
I wouldn’t say that the feeling is one of relief. Honestly, we’re very focused. The manager is really keeping an eye on that. He wants us focused, present, even if our destiny is in our hands, which is good, it means that, if we win, we will be where we want to be.
Was the win over Monaco, and the communion with the fans, also a bit of a boost heading into the game against Auxerre?
It is always good [to have moments like that] with the supporters. They chant, shout, support us… I think that this moment of communion between the fans, the staff, and the team is what we will need on the final day of the season. It will help us get the win [against Auxerre].
Auxerre are in a relegation fight going into this one. How do you avoid slipping on the banana skin?
It is a tricky match, but you have to prepare it like any other, by not building it up too much or by not taking it lightly. You have to take it like all the other matches that we have set out to win.
Can you talk to us a bit about your play style?
I am a player who likes to be direct, to run in behind and attack spaces. I am someone who is good one-on-one, has a good first touch and who is altruistic. I like to ‘treat’ others, be it the supporters or my own teammates. My inspirations? I liked to watch Cristiano Ronaldo when growing up, Marcus Rashford, Neymar Jr…. these kinds of wingers, then Ousmane Dembélé.
Within the Lille squad, there are plenty of dynamic, exciting players, too, such as Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Hakon Arnar Haraldsson. Do you draw inspiration from them, too?
It is great having great players around you; they raise your level. It makes us all better. Honestly, it is great playing with them. I hope that we will win a lot together.
And your objective is to shake up the hierarchy…
You can’t compare yourself. You have to look at yourself, try to progress, and fight with yourself. That is how you get what you want. I have to believe in my abilities, and we will see what happens in the future. I am ready to give everything for LOSC in any case.
What would it mean for you, and for Lille, to return to the Champions League?
It would be a first for me. I think it is important for the club. Before I was playing here, I followed their Champions League campaign, when they beat Real Madrid and played really well both home and away. I think that the club really wants to rediscover this excitement, that music. For me, as a player, when you’re young, you want to play this competition. It is the biggest competition in [club] football, so it would be incredible. You could say that I can’t wait.
What are your objectives and ambitions going forward?
I would say in the medium term, it is to play as many minutes as possible for Lille, give everything in order to be decisive and to be able to carve out my place here at the club. In the long-term, to really be involved in the project, really soak up the project and the club’s identity, to give everything for the club, by paying back the confidence shown in me from the first day.
You mentioned that you’ll be spending some time back in Toulouse this summer. A chance to reunite with some teammates?
When you speak about Toulouse, it inspires lots of joy. Honestly, I have so many great memories there. I will definitely meet up with two or three friends, two or three Pitchouns. I have an enormous respect for Toulouse. They gave me my first professional minutes in football. They will always be my formative club, so I have a lot of respect for them […] it is hard to leave when it is the only club that you have known. It is also the club of the city that I am from. But I think that I made a good choice [by coming to Lille]. It is a great step for me.