Ayoub Akabou :
“It’s a very special day for my family, my loved ones and me, it’s a lot of emotions. It's only a step but it had to be taken. It's a marathon, you have to climb the steps little by little, not rush and do everything to get there. It's a lot of years of work and determination, it's an honor to sign my first contract in Rennes. I work in a very tough position in the work that we have to do, we always have to do more than the others. My father always told me: “Whether in football or everyday life, the key is work”. I am very well surrounded, whether at the Academy or when I train with the pros. Steve Mandanda is a very good person, he gives us a lot of advice on his ability to read situations, we benefit from his experience. I try to take as much as possible. It's a pleasure to evolve at the SRFC, I thank everyone who allows me to progress on a daily basis. »
Denis Arnaud, Director of the Academy:
“We know that we have the ability to develop good outfield players. We developed the project to train high-potential goalkeepers for Stade Rennais. It is a source of pride to be able to bring the work of educators and recruiters to fruition. As has been said for other players who have signed recently, this is just a step. The road is very long, and I would say even a little longer for the goalkeepers. A player can play several positions, a goalkeeper cannot. It will take patience but it has great qualities. We will continue to work a lot with them to bring them to the pros and to Roazhon Park. He is a boy who shows advanced maturity on a mental level, he has a very good kicking game, it is essential today in high-level football to restart. He is decisive and still needs to improve in reliability and professionalism; in any case he has the mentality of a competitor. It is on these bases that we will have to continue to build. »
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