France national team: William Saliba expresses gratitude to Didier Deschamps

Now a key figure for the French national team, William Saliba recalls his challenging early days with Les Bleus.

William Saliba received his first call-up in March 2022. Since then, he has remained part of Didier Deschamps' plans as head coach.

"After that, since then, I’ve always been called up, even though it hasn’t always been easy. There were matches where I didn’t play well. When the coach called on me – and he called on me a lot – I wasn’t good right away. But he kept calling me back, kept giving me another chance." Saliba told France Football.

He added: "That’s why I have a lot of respect for this coach, because sometimes you join the French national team, you don’t play well, and you never get called back. The competition in France is tough. Every year, there’s a youngster coming through at 19 who’s a sensation. The level of competition in the French team is crazy. That’s why I feel lucky to have always been called up since my first selections."

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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