Marseille midfielder Mathieu Valbuena is living proof of the fact that size doesn't matter
At just 163 cm, France international http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Olympique-de-Marseille-c40127. For the little man who is ‘big’ the journey hasn’t been an easy one. In the space of just three years his iron clad will has turned him from an amateur
footballer to a regular France international.
In Marseille, his fans call him ‘le petit velo’, or ‘the little bicycle. Due to his diminutive stature, Valbuena has always faced an uphill task but his mercurial and tireless performances have made him one of the best players Ligue 1 has to offer. Within
this small frame lies a man whose great determination has proved his doubters wrong.
Valbuena also says that he knew it was very important for him to make his small frame an asset right from the start. In France, big and physically strong players are always preferred and Valbuena had a lot to prove to the scouts. His big break came when
the Bordeaux youth academy gave him a chance to shine. His tireless energy and skill on the ball gave him a chance to play for the biggest club in his native region of Gironde. However, it wasn’t to be.
When he was 18, the club finally succumbed to its doubts about Valbuena’s stature and decided to let him go. This was a major set-back for a teenager who had a lot of hope of making it big. Starting from scratch, Valbuena signed for a local amateur club
and third division side Libourne noticed what Bordeaux had failed to see and signed him up. Numerous offers came for him not long after his introduction to professional football and at the age of 22, Valbuena chose to sign for Olympique de Marseille.
An injury forced Valbuena to wait for 4 months before he could make his debut. It was at the Velodrome where he made his debut against Valenciennes. In 2007/08 season, Valbuena saw his fortunes change under new manager Eric Gerets. The Belgian selected Valbuena
in his first game which was a Champions League encounter against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809 at Anfield. He scored a screaming winning goal against the mighty Reds and that was the start of good things to come for a player who had to wait for it for a long time. That goal also
started a close relationship between Gerets and Valbuena and while talking about his former coach, Valbuena said, "He’s very important for me and the truth is that I had a special relationship with him because he liked me,"
The little man seized the opportunity and was the best player in the Marseille side that finished 3rd in the 2008/09 season. The following season, Didier Deschamps was named the new Marseille coach. Again Valbuena had a lot to prove but he did
so with aplomb and was once again the key player in his side’s most successful season in almost 20 years. The Rhone club won the Coupe de la Ligue and won the Championelle and on a personal note, Valbuena earned a World Cup call up. His efforts were finally
rewarded.
Didier Deschamps also realizes how hard it has been for Valbuena making it big in European football and says, "It’s true that he overcame many different hurdles, because he’s always been, even in the tougher times, someone who works hard."
He is just 26-years old and still has a long way to go in international football. Many clubs are already monitoring his performance. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/France-c2899 and Marseille have already started reaping the rewards of the little man’s attitude and it’s only a matter of time
before a big club comes calling. His future might be uncertain, but his ability is not.
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