Le Marchand: 'Working on my mentality has changed everything' | OneFootball

A starter in Strasbourg's last six outings, Maxime Le Marchand (32) has had a massively stabilising influence on Julien Stéphan's three-man defence. Check out our interview with the steely defender shoring things up in the southeast of France...

Maxime Le Marchand, a summer recruit for RC Strasbourg Alsace (currently eighth in the standings), is making his return to Ligue 1 Uber Eats and bringing his experience to Julien Stéphan's three-man backline. With Le Marchand in place, RCSA has seen its average number of goals conceded slashed from one goal every 41 minutes to one every 78 minutes. Last weekend, the man from Brittany even scored for the first time since August 2015 - just his second goal in 72 Ligue 1 Uber Eats appearances! Find out how he has built himself into a versatile and dependable player. Maxime, after experiences abroad in England and Belgium, here you are three years later back in Ligue 1 Uber Eats. How did this come about? "The contact with Strasbourg goes back to before my loan to Antwerp [between February and June last year]. It came about once Julien Stéphan had identified his needs setting up a system with three central defenders. He contacted me to explain his approach. Then everything accelerated, because Strasbourg and Loïc Désiré [head of the recruitment unit] had already been following me for a while." And was it important for you to that there were other ex-Rennes players in Alsace? "It's true that there are a few Bretons in the team and in Julien Stéphan's coaching staff, which has helped with my integration; we exchange our Rennes anecdotes. Kader Mangane (current sports co-ordinator) whom I knew at Rennes when he was a player, is also here. But throughout my career, my choices have always been made as a function how I get along with the coach. And I don't think the Rennes connection was a recruitment criterion for the club either... even though the Rennes academy is renowned." Does coming to RCSA also mean adhering to certain values that the club holds dear? Yes, work and perseverance are not overused terms here. Add to that a fan base that pushes and plays its role to the full at the Meinau, and there's plenty of scope for playing out of you skin in order to get results. This corresponds to my philosophy. Wherever I have been in my career, I have always been one of the most consistent in terms of my work ethic. At Strasbourg, everyone welcomed me and I immediately felt a 'family' spirit, but one with real ambition." On the pitch too, the system with three central defenders suits you well. Was this discussed with Julien Stéphan before signing for RCSA? "Actually it was at the heart of our discussions with the coach. I was already familiar with this system, first at Nice under Lucien Favre and then during my last half-season at Antwerp (with Franck Vercauteren). My profile allows me to be comfortable on the left side central defence; I can play in the centre and at left-back in a four-man defence, so the three-centre system appeals to me, as there is a bit of both. Having this versatility allows me to be comfortable. Because in this system, I have to slide out to the side and not just stay in the middle. And the fact that I am a lefty also makes my job easier."

RC STRASBOURG ALSACE - AS SAINT-ÉTIENNE (5-1) / Highlights (RCSA - ASSE) 2021/2022

'Mombaerts told me that my best position was central defender' Does playing with three in the middle and playing out from the back allow you to make the most of your qualities? "This evolution of the role of the modern central defender suits me completely. I started in central midfield with Stade Rennais as a youngster. So, having a certain technical background helped me a lot when I was later repositioned as a full-back and central defender. So I feel comfortable playing out from the back." Can you tell us how your repositioning on the pitch happened? "At Stade Rennais, there was a lot of competition in the defensive midfield [Yann M'Vila, Vincent Pajot, Fabien Lemoine and Gaëtan Caro were in his class at the academy]. The fact that I'm left-footed made it easier for me to slide over to that side: so at first I played left midfield, then left-back - a position I occupied when I won the Coupe Gambardella in 2008. Then my coaches, and especially Erick Mombaerts at Le Havre in Ligue 2, clearly told me that, given my profile, the best position for me would be that of central defender. It was a good idea." Apart from your coaches, who have helped you develop in your current position, have any players had an influence on your progress? "I've mostly learned on my own throughout my career. Even though some of them have given me some advice, I haven't really benefited from the knowledge of my fellow defenders. When I was a youth player at Stade Rennais and I trained with the pros without really being part of the team, it was complicated for them to take me under their wing. To progress as a central defender, it is important to work on being complementary. And it's really in matches that you can learn the most." So, with more than 300 professional matches under your belt, do you now share your experience with the younger players at the club? "I'm not a 'screamer', but it's clearly something I want to do in my own way. It's part of what I can bring to our team. So I do it calmly to advise or to reframe on the field. In particular, I try to accompany the youngest players in situations that I have mastered to help them become able to approach these situation wit more calm." In spite of everything, you are not yet one of the oldest defenders in Ligue 1 Uber Eats - especially compared to to Dante (OGC Nice) or José Fonte (LOSC). "To see them being ultra-competitive at the top level at over 35 years of age (both are 37) is necessarily inspiring. You want to know their secret. At Nice, I saw Dante always doing 100% of the exercises, even though it wasn't necessarily necessary. And he told me: 'I need this. It is the head that always pushes me more, even if physically I am sometimes tired'. This is proof of great mental strength, like the way he came back from his ACL injury at his age. In his place, there are many who would have retired. Even Hilton, who played at over 40 with the same speed, is remarkable. When I see them, I tell myself that I still have many good years ahead of me!"

'Essential to improve'

At OGC Nice in 2016, you benefited from the help of psychological coach Thomas Sammut, who was available to the players. What did this bring you? "I met him when I was recovering from my knee injury. He helped me to get back to my best level. The mental aspect is an additional element to work on in order to perform better on the pitch. There is no shame in digging into this aspect. I have always been sensitive to the mental aspect of high-level sportsmen and women - I am aware that it is essential to improve. Before this work with Thomas, I had already practised sophrology. So when Nice set up this mental preparation, I went right there to do some sessions." What did this work consist of? "His approach was revolutionary for me. For example, he put me back into the situations I had experienced as a young footballer to find what had been bad for me. The aim was to allow me to be myself now, to enjoy myself, with my own qualities, rather than trying to transform myself into another player. Excluding what had a negative effect on me was a trigger for my development on the field, even beyond performance. It allowed me to learn about myself." What did you take away from this experience? "I see things differently now. I have techniques that allow me to refocus whenever I feel the need. When I feel that I'm not in tune with myself, that I'm not acting as I should, I'm able to refocus. And that can happen in a match. This mental work has also helped me in my emotional management ahead of big matches and other important occasions. It allows me to stay calm and focused. It also has an effect on the physical. As is the case for everyone, when you are in a state of anxiety or stress, the risk of injury increases. It is often a taboo subject, but calling on a mental trainer is not a sign of weakness, but rather an expression of a desire to progress."

>> PLAYER PROFILE: Maxime Le Marchand