Ligue 1: "I quite like this role of big brother," Olivier Giroud makes a stunning return to France at 38
The top scorer in the history of the French team scored in his first two matches with Losc.
"It was a challenge I thought I could take on," said Olivier Giroud , who gave Lille victory against Monaco on Sunday evening, a few weeks after returning to France. Scoring a powerful shot from the turn in added time (90th + 1) in this second-day Ligue 1 fixture, the French team's top scorer (57 goals in 137 matches) got his adventure with Losc off to a perfect start, a week after having already scored in Brest.
"We were patient, resilient, we believed in it until the end, and so did I," he said at first, noting "a small downside on the penalty" that he subsequently missed. Before returning to his early experience in the North from Los Angeles FC in the American MLS: "The integration was pretty good, I was welcomed by great guys. (...) It was a challenge that I thought I could take on. We needed this victory to fully launch our season, so I will continue (...) to have this role of big brother which I quite like."
Skip the adI am also a man of challenge, and I knew that by coming back here, it was also challenging myself somewhere, I knew that I was going to be expected
Olivier Giroud
"I'm also a man of challenges, and I knew that coming back here was also challenging myself somewhere, I knew that I was going to be expected, " he continued. "This is only the beginning, there will also be some less cool moments, but we will face them too." At almost 39 years old, the tall striker (1.93 m) said he was "physically well." "I'm enjoying it, even if it's a little harder to recover with age, I'm ready to continue now," he explained. "We also have young people who are pushing behind, and they will also have at some point, they will also be able to contribute their stone to the building."
Also read : Lille-Monaco: Giroud at home, Akliouche's failures... The highs and lows
LOSC coach Bruno Genesio congratulated his striker, noting his "technical mastery at the end of the match, despite the fatigue." "We played a real team game and he contributed a lot to that by keeping the ball, deflecting aerial balls, he did us a lot of good in those situations," he added.
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