OGC Nice: Gabin Bernardeau, head and legs

It's worth writing it down now to relieve any pressure on a 19-year-old player who is discovering the professional world. "He will have to bulk up physically, acclimatize to the training schedule, the speed of play, and the demands of Ligue 1 and Europe," say those who saw Gabin Bernardeau break through at Le Mans.

But they're not worried given the midfielder's blossoming in a National season that culminated in promotion to Ligue 2. "I fell in love with this player. I loved working with this kid because of his incredible mentality. He thinks about the team. He deserves what's coming to him and he went out and got it. But losing him was heartbreaking," admits Patrick Videira, the coach who gave him his chance.

" He played in the 18-year-old R1 and had participated in Le Mans' good run in Gambardella (4 goals, 1 assist in 4 matches for a penalty shootout elimination against OM in the round of ¹⁶ ). A week after signing for the club, I met him with his father and told him that he was going to do the prep with us. I warned him: it could last a week, ten days, a month, a year... But he was ready. He showed good things in preparation and from the first day of the championship, he was a starter against Versailles."

Thirty-six appearances later, Gabin Bernardeau had accumulated four goals and nine assists with his silky left foot. But that's not all. "The primary quality in football is intelligence. Gabin developed that to make a difference at a very young age among very athletic players. He's not, he's not fast, but he has a feel for football. He knows how to move into areas where he'll have a certain head start. But he needs movement around him," summarizes the coach who is handing over to Franck Haise. "He's a trainer, he knows how to support a kid who needs others, to feel confident and to be loved."

"The coach's speech influenced his decision to come to Nice, according to the entourage of the holder of a general baccalaureate, sought after in France and abroad. A caring club, a healthy environment, an ambitious project... This isn't always the case, but the family, advisors, loved ones, and the player were all aligned: Nice was the right choice."

Patrick Videira would have liked to offer an intermediate step to his protégé's flight, in L2. But when you are "very well educated" , "serene and very attentive in your approach to football" , when you have "many values, a huge desire to learn" and parents who have already planned their visit to the new nest of the Aiglon, it is that you are ready for the big leap.