A key link in the Red and Black chain, Valentin Eysseric is going through a prosperous period. Decisive and a team player, the playmaker didn’t hesitate to affirm: “I have never been so happy in a team”.

Do you feel in the form of your life? This was the question that was asked directly to him during his press conference. The answer from the number 13 came from his heart with the same clarity. “When I arrived in Nice, the first season, I was also strong. But today, I have a more rounded game, I have matured.”

Stronger, more of a team player and more hard-working: the new Eysseric combines finesse and hard work and sweat - thinking about others, even putting things aside. Which, when we compare his stats from his first season in Red and Black (2012/13 season) to those from this year, we can see a natural extension: 5 goals and 1 assist under the watchful eye of Claude Puel; against 3 goals and 5 assists during his "renaissance" under Lucien Favre (with the season yet to finish). These two coaches whom the native of Aix places “on the same level” in terms of their contribution to his development and which mark out the two stand-out periods of his career. What separates these two periods? Some lightning, some clouds and a loan to St-Etienne last year.

HARD WORK AND KILOMETRES

Both of the periods have shaped the life of the graduate of Monaco. “I have been through some dark times. I know where I come from and I want to work even more. This summer when I came back, we knew it; it was going to be complicated for me. But I didn’t give up.” To the extent that he became, first of all, a solid option, before becoming one of the leading attacking forces for the Gym in 2016/17. “I spoke to the coach at the start of the season, he told me that for the position where I play, I needed to put more effort in, and he explained that all high level matches play at a certain mileage. I had never heard that before and we all put our heads down to up our effort. He wants his players to run, I had to put that into my head, to hurt and to get involved defensively in a way I didn’t before.”

Five years after starting his career with Nice, he takes an objective look at his evolution. “My game is more complete, I move a lot more, the effort I put in, it’s completely different. I do a lot more work for the team and tactically, I am more knowledgeable. Technically, I have never played like that with a team, and even myself, sometimes; I surprise myself when I achieve some things. I like that, but I can still improve a lot, in my efficiency and the core work of running and tactics.”

All in order to move to the next level, at just 25 years old.

---