William Saliba was introduced to the press this afternoon. The central defender discussed his choice.
The former Saint-Étienne player was recruited by the club on Monday in the form of a loan. Two days later, he was already in the starting lineup against Brest, but saw his team lose (2-0). Set aside by Arsenal and their coach, Mikel Arteta, the young defender preferred to join the Gym rather than return to his old grounds. “Nice was my favorite choice, it’s a club I love, which qualifies for European competitions. Saint-Étienne is my home, it’s a comfort zone and I wanted to get out of it.”
Having not played any professional matches with the Gunners, Saliba claims he trained “fully” during this entire period. After nearly a year without playing at the highest level, he returned to the field against Brest “it had been a long time since I played and it did me good.”
The last six months have nevertheless been complicated for the OGC Nice recruit. He regrets that his move across the channel happened this way: “I lacked rhythm and was a bit insufficient physically. The coach told me I wasn’t ready. I would have liked to have my chance but that’s football, that’s how it is and it’s behind me.”
This English period doesn’t dampen the spirits of the Bondy native: “I’m a young player, I can bring my young experience. I’ve played in Ligue 1 and even though I’m young, I’m coming in as a leader, to lead the defense. I plan to give it my all.” William Saliba is in Nice for six months, hoping to help Nice climb up the rankings.
