He entered the forward rotation of Racing Club de Lens this season. Loaned in Ligue 2 to Laval last season, Rémy Labeau Lascary, 21, has become more seasoned. This enthusiast of mountain biking, tennis, but also motorsport, is in the process of completing his palette to establish himself at the highest level with his training club. Interview.
Lensois.com: Rémy Labeau Lascary, how is your start to the season going?
It’s going well! I play, I come into play. I was lucky enough to have two first starts (Brest J2 and Rennes J5). I have made a lot of progress compared to last year, especially in front of goal. I just have to manage to take advantage of the opportunities I have in matches. I’m just missing the stats.
Did you expect to play a role in the rotation this year after your time at Laval (L2)?
I expected it. I came back from Laval and I really wanted to stay in Lens. I did everything for it, during the preparation. I gave myself the means to be present, the friendly matches, the training sessions. I gave it my all. I did what I had to do so as not to have regrets. The coach told me that I was going to be integrated into the group, but also that it only depended on me.
“If you can get by in Ligue 2, you can get by almost anywhere”
Was this loan in Laval really beneficial for you?
I think it was beneficial in all aspects, especially in terms of stringing matches together. It’s not the same pressure or the same fatigue that I had before in Lens when I played among the young people. It’s different, I learned a lot. I learned to manage my emotions. I had a group with a lot of experience, like Malik Tchokounté, Goncalves. It really made me grow. The loan to Laval was really beneficial.
Have you progressed in your game too? Ligue 2 is a totally different level.
I think that if you can get by in Ligue 2, which is a difficult championship, with a lot of duels and long balls, you can get by almost anywhere. My confidence started to feel good in the second half of the season, when I started scoring goals I felt really good. The elders spoke to us a lot, the staff, the coaches. I felt the confidence they had in me. And by working in front of goal and scoring goals in training, going on and on, they said that in any case, it was going to come. And then, when you score your first goal, it goes by itself.
“With the coach, if you are good in training, you have your chance in matches”
How did the first contacts with Will Still go when you returned to Lens?
I arrived, he didn’t really know me. He learned to discover me in training and in matches. After the preparation, we took stock. He learned to discover my game, my personality. And after that, he told me how he was going to use me this year. After Laval, I also had to find my place in this group, with new staff, etc. I really wanted to stay in Lens. So, as I said, I gave it my all. I gave everything I could to have no regrets. And in the end, it paid off. I hope it continues. With the coach, if you are good in training, you have your chance in matches.
Your first goal seems very close!
I had situations where I really wasn’t far from scoring. I’m a little frustrated though: my hand in Monaco, my situation in Rennes. It was a little more obvious, but it doesn’t matter much. But I tell myself that it is like that. We must continue to work. Ed (Edward Still) talks to me a lot. I think that in any case, it will fit and I will have the click.
What do we ask in particular of a player like you, quite fast and who develops depth? Are we asking you for things that are a little more specific compared to recent years or even training?
No, not necessarily. First of all, I am asked to be close to my attacker when we play with a doublet. It requires a lot of shopping, being generous and really wanting to hurt.
You also received 3 yellow cards in 5 matches. Do you still have a little trouble measuring aggression in Ligue 1?
I think it’s a bit of a lack of experience (smile). Even last year, I took a lot of cards in Ligue 2. I think that’s really it, a bit of lack of experience.
“My first goal in Ligue 1 is in my head, but it’s not an obsession”
What does it mean to you to be in the first team of your training club today, the one that welcomed you in 2018?
I think I haven’t reached the top yet, because I know I can do much better. I still feel a lot of pride, especially when we play at Bollaert with supporters and chants. Even when you go out, people recognize you. It really warms my heart. But I haven’t reached the top yet. When I really play a series of matches, when I really become a scorer, start a series of starts, I think I will have arrived there. There’s still a lot of work, but I’m happy to be here.
It’s still a great story, because you left Guadeloupe at 15 to arrive in Lens.
At the beginning, it was complicated anyway, because the football level between Guadeloupe and France has nothing to do with it. It wasn’t easy. But then, I have my family, my parents, my brother and my sister who are often there. Every two months, they come to France to accompany me. So that’s really my strength. And I am grateful to them.
To return to the start of the Racing season, the team often has difficulty realizing its clear situations. How to explain it?
In each match, we always have two or three chances per attacker. I think it really comes down to one detail. And I think that when we find what’s missing, when we score goals, things will be much better. But we create chances every match, and I think that’s important. I think that when we start to string together goals, things will get better.
What do you expect from this season in Ligue 1 with Lens?
What I’m waiting for is to progress on my strengths and weaknesses. And to get as much playing time as possible. And already, to score my first goal in Ligue 1! It’s in my head, but it’s not an obsession. And then, to string together the goals. The coach helps me, he tells me in training or in matches that I have to be good in the game. Hence the importance of my calls, my throw-ins. He tells me first to be good at the game, and then the goals will come.
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