William Saliba : “Do great things with ASSE“

What were the reasons why you decided to extend your contract with ASSE?

I made the best choice. I was young when I arrived here and after two years with the club, I integrated myself into the professional team. Everything went by quickly. I made great progress because I’m surrounded by great players, a good staff and an incredible coach. He played me against Toulouse, I thank him for that. I didn’t think that that would turn out as well for me as it did. I’ll be here next season. I really want to continue to progress here and do great things with Saint-Étienne during the next four years.

Who are the players who matter the most in regards of your progress?

I observe them all. I observe above all Loïc Perrin, Neven Subotic and Timothée Kolodziejczac because they play the same position as me or Mathieu Debuchy who plays on the wings. I also observe players like Yann M’Vila and Wahbi Khazri.

How are you experiencing the end of this season which is full of challenges?

It’s wonderful to play the end of a season that’s full of suspense like this one. The ambiance is even more magical at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium. That gives us the desire to outdo ourselves in order to give back to the fans everything they bring us. We know that we still have five matches to play, we’re going to play each one like it’s the final match of the season. A qualification for the European Cup would be fantastic.

Comment vis-tu cette pression du résultat, ta notoriété naissante ou la Coupe du monde U20 qui se jouera cet été ?
Je suis vraiment concentré sur ce qui se passe sur le terrain et j’essaie de faire abstraction de tout le reste. Je me focalise sur mon jeu parce qu’il y a toujours des choses à corriger. Et collectivement, on prend les matches comme ils viennent, les uns après les autres. La Coupe du monde est dans un coin de ma tête mais je suis focalisé sur cette fin de saison avec l’ASSE.

As-tu un message pour tes coéquipiers qui disputeront la finale de la Coupe Gambardella ce samedi ?
Je les vois tous les jours au centre de formation, on est tous potes, alors ils savent déjà ce que je pense. J’ai confiance en eux et en notre coach, Razik Nedder. Ils savent que demain (samedi) je serai leur premier supporter.

Do you have a message for your teammates who will play the final of the Gambardella Cup this Saturday?

I see them every day at the ASSE Academy, we’re all friends, so they already know what I think. I have confidence in them and in our coach, Razik Nedder. They know that tomorrow (Saturday) I will be their number one fan.