Roberto De Zerbi, his role, Elye Wahi… Neal Maupay justifies his spectacular debut at OM!

Arriving last August in Marseille, Neal Maupay quickly established himself as an essential element in Roberto De Zerbi's system. Landed in the shoes of a number 2 behind Elye Wahi, the striker currently on loan from Everton finally got the better of the former RC Lens scorer, still injured. With an impeccable state of mind and a more than consistent performance (3 goals and 4 assists in 15 matches in all competitions), the native of Versailles thus delights the Phocaeans at the forefront of the attack. At a press conference, the 28-year-old detailed his current success.

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Maupay is a fan of Marseille

“I'm having a blast personally, I'm happy and fulfilled here, it's the first time I've felt so much fervor and support from an entire city, a region even beyond Marseille, it's incredible, I feel good, at ease, with the coach, the staff, the teammates and I think I can express myself to the best of my ability because I am freed”declared the person concerned before returning to his role in the Marseille collective. “I can do better in terms of goals but my role is different. Stats are good, but they don't tell the whole story. My role is not that of an attacker and to stay in front, where the team plays for me. I have other field duties. I have to switch off sometimes. It doesn't bother me, on the contrary. If the team performs like this, I am the happiest. I have to do better in certain situations”.

Relaunched on the competition with Elye Wahi, the former OGC Nice player also recalled that the situation could quickly change, while sending a positive message to his teammate. “It’s a question of balance and what the coach is looking for. At the moment, he thinks my profile is more suited to the team. Elye is hurt, but it goes both ways quickly. At the start of the season, I was on the bench and number 2. Elye has different qualities from mine, he is young and I know he will do us good when he is back. Arriving in Marseille at your age is also difficult. But I'm sure he'll get there.”. A classy speech proving the impeccable mentality of the 1m71 right-hander, recently praised by his coach Roberto De Zerbi.

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A perfect relationship with De Zerbi and… Wahi

“Maupay is the perfect player. Everyone would like to have a Maupay on their team. He brings this positive aggressiveness to the game, his passion, and his footballing intelligence. He is a player who has 20 goals under his belt, but if we look beyond the goals, there are his assists, his commitment to decisive actions, his personality, his character, and even his leadership. He's definitely a player I would always want to have on my team and will have as long as I'm here. Whether he plays or not, he is a player who remains positive. When you see the players before entering the field, and you know that Maupay is playing with you, it reassures you. If I see him, I feel better”.

Strong words logically reported to the ears of the person concerned… “I don't watch press conferences, but it was sent to me. It’s great fun, I get along well with the coach. It was a match right away, we have the same vision of things. I try to give him back that trust. When a coach considers you like that, it’s nice. He’s like that with all the players, he knows how to give us confidence.”admitted Neal Maupay, on cloud nine and once again ready to repay the confidence his coach gave him against Strasbourg during the 18th day of Ligue 1. “We are second, we are on a good run in the championship. There are around fifteen matches to play in the league and we are on the right track. I can't wait to see where we end up.”concluded number 8 of OM.

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