Edan Diop: "My experience at Cercle Brugge helped me mature"

An influential figure in recent weeks, Edan Diop has been in fine form since the start of October, recording two goals and two assists and earning MVP honours in the home draw against Lille. In confident mood and determined to help Monaco return to winning ways in the league, the 22-year-old midfielder faced the press 24 hours before the trip to Le Mans. Extracts 🎙️

What kind of Monaco can we expect against Le Mans? 🤔

Tomorrow, we have to do everything we can to win because that’s the most important thing, regardless of who plays or how we do it. After two defeats away from home, we need to get back to winning on the road, and for that we’ll have to give everything.

On his start to the season 👌

Honestly, I’m feeling really good because I have the coach’s trust, and it’s great to be able to bring my qualities to the team. At the start, I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do, but I spoke with the coach and he told me he was counting on me this season. Since then, I’ve made sure to respond every day in training. Our conversation took place during the summer because I needed a clearer picture of things and to focus my mind on a direction. He showed confidence in me and gave me the desire to stay and fight for my place. As for where I can still improve, I’d say my off-the-ball play, because that’s a very important part of the game.

The importance of his experience at Cercle Brugge 🟢⚫

When I arrived there, my first objective was simply to stay injury-free and then, later in the season, to perform. I was able to build momentum and show what I could do. I learned a lot at Cercle, whether in terms of nutrition, everyday lifestyle or simply as a footballer. It helped me mature. A change under the new coach? He arrived just as we were starting the relegation play-offs, so there was a new mentality we had to adopt to meet that challenge. He spoke to me as soon as he arrived and told me he trusted me. We managed to put together a good run of results and finished top, so I’m very grateful to Lars (Friis).

His preferred position ❓

Honestly, I try to adapt! Whether the coach needs me on the left, the right, in midfield or further forward, my objective is always to adapt to his game plan. If I had to choose, I’d probably say as a number eight, on either the left or right side, because that’s the position I was developed in at the Academy. But if the team needs me elsewhere, I’m ready for that too. My main responsibilities? In midfield, it starts with defending well because the coach places a lot of importance on that side of the game. Then offensively, it’s about how we use the ball once we recover possession. It’s a question of balance: if the number six pushes forward, the number eight provides cover, and vice versa.

On Lamine Camara 🐙

Every player can go through difficult periods during a season. But if I had to pick one thing that impresses me most about him, it would be his ability to win the ball back. It’s great to watch what he does, I really enjoy observing him! Physically? In the VMA tests, I think he’s probably the best (smiles). Defensively, what he can do in our own box, he can do just as well in the opposition half, and even on the ball, he’s one of the best players in the squad.

His Academy journey 💎

When AS Monaco comes calling when you’re 12 or 13 years old, you don’t really think twice! The season before was the Champions League campaign with Kylian Mbappé, Radamel Falcao and the rest. So I said yes straight away, and when I arrived, I realised that in terms of football, education and personal development, it’s one of the top three academies in France. We reached the U19 play-offs, I earned my baccalauréat here, so my experience at the Academy was fantastic. On top of that, I was with Mamadou Coulibaly, so we know what it’s like to grow up together at La Diagonale, and personally, I loved every minute of it.

On Frédéric Barilaro 🤝

The biggest thing I worked on with him was the human side of things. He’s very close to his players, he helps them develop, and he never leaves anyone behind. If there’s a problem, he’s always there to help manage it. From a personal point of view, he gave me a lot. Whenever things weren’t going well, he was there for me, almost like a father figure, because of his experience and the number of players he has worked with over the years. I learned so much from him.

His ability to fill in on the wing 🌪️

You simply have to adapt to your opponents and execute the coach’s game plan while staying true to our playing principles. Playing out wide? If I’m asked to play on the wing, I just have to adapt in order to drive at defenders, whether it’s on the left or the right. It also helps me broaden my technical range. That’s what was asked of me at Cercle Brugge, so I’m capable of doing it, even though the coach has mainly used me in a more central role recently.

His goal against Lille 🎯

In that match, the most important thing for me was first to replace Zak’ (Denis Zakaria) in midfield, both in his technical responsibilities and in the defensive side of the game. For my goal, I received the ball from Jordan (Teze) and tried to deliver a cross to the far post. Even though Paris (Brunner) didn’t get a touch on it, the ball went straight in. The coach’s main instruction was for us to keep possession because we were allowing them too much of the ball early on. In the end, we managed to fight back and earn the draw.