“If you had contacted me to talk about Kylian Mbappé, I would not even have answered you”warns Antonio Riccardi. For years, this AS Bondy educator has supported and trained thousands of young footballers. Many of them have found their way to professional football. Kylian Mbappé at the forefront, as well as Jonathan Ikoné, Fabrice N’Sakala and Kevin Mouanga. But when he talks about William Saliba, another Bondy pearl who came under his authority, his tone is tinged with emotion. “William was a different kid who became a great guyhe sums up. When we talk about Bondy, we talk about Mbappé and that’s normal. But Bondy is also him ». In the absence of having been able to shine the spotlight on Bondy, William Saliba is taking it very well. An undisputed starter for the French team and runner-up in the Premier League after a fantastic season, his talent is now recognized well beyond the A3 motorway that surrounds his hometown. A city with which he never wanted to cut the cord.
A persistent dream
In his CM1 class at the Assomption school, the same one attended by Kylian Mbappé (who was born in Paris), when the teacher asks the students what they want to become later, William Saliba’s answer is obvious: « I will be a footballer!”. Faced with the confidence of this eight-year-old boy, the teacher tries to explain to him that it is not a profession. But his attempts remain in vain. “ He always knew what he wanted to doassures Antonio Riccardi. Much earlier than the others, he had this maturity in his will to succeed. It was amazing “. Little William knows what he wants to do and if he is bored at the back of the class, it is because he only dreams of being on a football field. While waiting to be able to be there as much as he wants, he must resign himself to spending long hours in the classroom, where he passes the time making others laugh. What earns him the status of disruptive student in class helps him in football. “He was a joker so a great element to have in a groupexplains his former educator. On top of that, he has always been very easy to manage in the locker room and on the pitch.”.
In the playground of his school, William Saliba finds another place of expression to showcase his talent. On the Bondyn asphalt, he already stands out as a complete player, much more comfortable at the forefront of the attack than in defense. On the lawn too. “He started in attacking positions, but towards the end of his adventure at Bondy, we made him play defensive midfielderrelated Antonio Riccardi. Pushing him back gave him a better chance for the future because with his size, it suited him better.”. Larger and stronger than the others, this “2001” is outclassed everywhere, both during the famous CM1-CM2 classico and in the AS Bondy categories. “He had the right mentality but also had a real morphological advantage. Despite that, he was very skillful for a big guy and that made the difference”adds the one who trained alongside Wilfrid Mbappé for a long time.
Bondy, always in his heart
At the age of thirteen, William Saliba left Bondy to join FC Montfermeil. Ten years later, he is known for having established himself in Ligue 1 at AS Saint-Étienne and then at Olympique de Marseille before becoming a world reference in his position with the Gunners of Arsenal. This golden trajectory does not, however, distance him from his hometown. Several times a year, the number 17 of the French team returns home, to the heart of Seine-Saint-Denis. To see his childhood friends with whom he proudly displays himself on social networks, or to visit the club that trained him. « Every year at the end of the season, he comes to train in Bondy, on the main fieldadds Antonio Riccardi. During his vacation, he comes to do his individual preparation for two weeks.Without hiding, the player shows up at any time of the afternoon, including on Wednesdays when all the children of the city rush to the stadium. “We set up a little system so that he doesn’t get bothered, but as soon as he’s finished, he takes photos with all the children. William is international class ! »admires the educator.
Like Kylian Mbappé before him, William Saliba wants to make the new Bondy motto resonate in the hearts of the children of his city. “Bondy, city of possibilities » where sport remains for many the only escape from a difficult daily life with no prospects for the future. Along the A3 motorway, the huge fresco bearing the image of the captain of the French team is in any case a dream for all the kids in this suburb. Soon, William Saliba will perhaps be entitled to it too, in the northern districts of the city where he grew up.
William Saliba sees himself among the best defenders in the Premier League
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