Højbjerg during his presentation to the press this summer.
OM midfielder Pierre-Emile Højbjerg gave a long interview to L'Equipe. The Dane discusses in particular his role in Marseille and his ambitions under the orders of Robert De Zerbi.
For some, he is the best summer recruit from Olympique de Marseille: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (29 years old) is unanimously unanimous in the Marseille city. If Mason Greenwood, who also arrived last summer, is highly appreciated for his dribbling and his offensive performance (7 goals and 2 assists in 10 matches), the Danish midfielder is valuable for his slaughter and his leadership.
Recruited to bring his talent and experience to the Marseille midfield, the former Tottenham and Bayern Munich player quickly adapted to his new team. The one who learned to play elbows very early, playing from the age of 5 with children older than him, very quickly also took on responsibilities within the Marseille locker room.
P.-E. Højbjerg – «I'm not afraid to tell them»
«I think people very quickly understood that I was a person who would always be there to help others but also to push them even more.» , tells the Scandinavian in the columns of L'Equipe. “It's my way of being but always with heart. (…) Sometimes you have to push, sometimes you have to understand. That's why you can go see a young person and say: “I know you're 19, you weren't feeling well today, come on, it doesn't matter!”»
«I believe it is important to speak to everyone as an equal, without distinction, and once on the ground, you show the direction. I have a little experience, and if people aren't pushing in the right direction, I'm not afraid to tell them. I'm not inventing anything, these are very simple and very strong values» , explains Højbjerg, who quickly became one of Roberto De Zerbi's privileged relays on the ground.
Højbjerg already sees himself in the Champions League
Arriving in Marseille this summer, the two men quickly got to know each other. “I really appreciate it tactically, technically, humanly, confides the ex-Spur. Taking on this challenge here at OM, we know it’s not easy. We do it with great motivation, and I feel a coach who shows the way. When you always try to be honest, correct in everything you do, in the end you will win something. Can I say that we will win every match? Of course not. But I can say that we will be a team that will work hard to become number one.»
For this, the Italian coach can count on Højbjerg to motivate the troops. The Danish international demands an exemplary attitude from his teammates on a daily basis, both starters and substitutes. “If we have a medal at the end, we will all have the same one. This is why it is important that everyone understands their role in training, in matches, in the locker room. Players are not going to play too much this season but they have a big responsibility to make the sessions even harder» , he explains.
Before looking further, with ambition: “Because next year, when there is the Champions League, with two matches per week, we will have to be ready and we will be rewarded if we have done the job well this year. It's not easy of course because we all signed for OM to be on the field. But everyone has value, whether you play or not, whether you are first or second goalkeeper.» It's up to his teammates to respond all present to bring Marseille back to C1 next season.
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