Captain Fantastic would be an understatement. Benjamin André, an unsung and underrated hero in Ligue 1 for years, is starting to enjoy his moment in the spotlight with Lille back in the Champions League. As he ages, he becomes more than your average veteran cult figure, but one of the most reliable midfielders in the league.
Lille's number 21 is now entering the final years of his career, but his performances on the pitch for Les Dogues have impressed with a rejuvenated force since Bruno Génésio joined the club. The temptation to move to Saudi Arabia this summer was not enough to lure André out of his beloved Ligue 1. Instead, he has passed the 400-game mark in the top flight of French football. “I hope I still have a lot to play,” André responded when he found out. “As long as the body can hold on, we'll keep holding on.”
André has been a linchpin in the defensive strength and organization of Lille's midfield over the past twelve months. Now the world can watch joyfully with us in the Champions League. Against Real Madrid, he put in the hard work so that his midfield partner, 17-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, could shine with the ball at his feet. André's experience is like gold dust for a team from Lille, where so many young players progress to the first team.
Yet André is not just an extension of Bruno Génésio's coaching team on the field, because that would be completely reductive. Over the past year he has really added value with the ball, first under Paulo Fonseca and now under Génésio. The 34-year-old operates from a deep-lying position in midfield, where he likes to control the pace and dictate play, never shying away from taking responsibility on the ball as he does off the ball. He had built a productive relationship with Nabil Bentaleb and then with Angel Gomes in the center of the pitch. But with injuries, illness and squad rotation due to European football, André has been the constant.
“I have no words to describe our captain,” Paulo Fonseca said about André at the end of last season. 'He's great. He is a great professional who plays anytime, anywhere – a great leader of our team.”
Benjamin André's journey is almost one of the most underrated stories in French football. But with Lille on the cusp of further Champions League adventures this season, recognition on the biggest stage of them all is finally vindication for the experienced midfielder.
GFFN | George Boxall
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