On the occasion of a Christmas dinner, the “Diner des Légendes” at Stade Rennais, the former Girondins de Bordeaux striker, Sylvain Wiltordspoke of his anecdotes with Rennes. Has Rennes changed his life?
“I arrived in Rennes at 17, I came from the Paris region. It changed me. Often, I remember one of the first articles I did, I said that it was my way out. I learned my trade in Rennes… Well, I also learned a little about madness (laughs). But that's normal. I grew up with Stade Rennais, I went all over Brittany, discovering small towns. I have grown as a man, it’s a real pleasure to have passed through Stade Rennais.”
He remembered his arrival in Brittany.
“I didn't know Rennes at all, and I told myself that it was a great club. So I asked the taxi driver to take me to Stade Rennais. He tells me ok, there is no problem. He dropped me off at the velodrome, in fact he didn't know anything. It was Yves Colleu who came to get me. Well, I arrived at 17, and I stayed at Stade Rennais for 6 years, then after that I had a small career (laughs).”
Does he remember his first match?
“I joined the center at 17, I had to play at 18 and a half. It was a Coupe de la Ligue match, Rennes-Montpellier. I no longer know the result, but on the other hand I know that I had exchanged my jersey with Fabrice Divert. I was a substitute, but I was in the process of joining the professional locker room. I trained a lot with them, but I went to reserve. Little by little I scraped, I scraped.”
Then, at the end of his career, he returned to Rennes.
“Ten years later… I finished in Lyon, and Pierre Dréossi who called me… I said with pleasure, and I didn't pay too much (smile). It went well for a year and a half. At the start, Pierre was a coach, a manager, we had up-and-down results. My return, this first match against Metz, I still have chills. This return to Rennes was exceptional.”
Transcription Girondins4Ever
