Michael Olise is naturally shy. Called up for the first time by Didier Deschamps for the Nations League matches against Italy and Belgium, the winger took part in an exercise that is never easy for him on Tuesday, September 3: the press conference.
On paper, his presence in front of the journalists at Clairefontaine was not at all simple, given the person in question was so highly sought after. Michael Olise was born in London to a Nigerian father and a Franco-Algerian mother, and the new Munich player could have opted for other teams than the one led by Didier Deschamps.
But for Michael Olise, the choice was obvious. “My mother is from France. When I was little, I came here. I had this connection with France,” he told reporters. “I’m proud to be here.” As a youngster, he already followed Les Bleus’ performances closely. “Zidane, Henry… There are a lot of quality players in this selection but I like these two players.”
Thierry Henry’s praise
Asked about Michael Olise, Arsenal’s all-time top scorer said during the Olympics how much he thought of the Bavarian. “His desire to have wanted to play for the French team gives me chills. He could have gone to play the Euro with England, he decided to play the Olympics with France,” recalls the former Monaco coach.
“We talk about football players, their lack of desire, their love of the jersey, money. His dream is to play with the French team. I have enormous respect for that,” he says.
Even in the youth categories, Michael Olise has never worn a selection jersey other than the one bearing the rooster. He had his first selection with the U18s in 2019 before joining the Espoirs and then the Olympic team.
“It’s been my dream since I was little”
Before this press conference, the child from London had given a few words to the YouTube channel of the French team. A sequence during which he expressed his happiness to wear the blue jersey. “I hope this is the beginning of something special. It’s been my dream since I was little,” he confirmed.
Each of his words has the particularity of being tinged with a slight British accent. It was in the suburbs of London that he grew up. Before his transfer to Bavaria, he had never lived anywhere other than the United Kingdom.
It is therefore not surprising that English is his mother tongue, even though he learned French. Through his mother, with whom he converses in the language of Molière, according to Le Figaro, and through courses he has been taking for several years.
Michael Olise’s situation is reminiscent of that of Adnan Januzaj in 2013. Born in Brussels to Albanian parents, the midfielder was also eligible for Kosovo, while England, Turkey, Serbia and Croatia were all eyeing him up. Adnan Januzaj ultimately opted for Belgium, whose jersey he has worn only 15 times to date. Let’s hope Michael Olise has a more golden destiny with Les Bleus.
- RMC Sport
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