From Picardie to the Herald, passing through Lorraine, the young French international Marie-Charlotte Léger has also been able to harden by her 46 selections accumulated in the French team. Portrait of a discreet player at first, with certain qualities in front of goal.


His club career

Before signing for Montpellier for four years (until June 2019), you were spotted by Metz during their rise (just after their merger with Algrange), and you scored 8 goals out of the 20 Metz, actively participating in your team's game. How do you see with hindsight this passage from Metz to Montpellier?

When I left Hénin-Beaumont [for Metz], I was still young. I did two years in this club, one year in D2 for the rise and one year in D1. Then Metz contacted me, there were still no big clubs on me, and I wanted to continue my progression in a small club that had just climbed D1. So I took my opportunity. With Metz we had a good season, but we went through a few matches. We did not deserve to go down, because we had a great season. Just after that I went to Montpellier.


During this season with Metz, you drew against Montpellier (2-2). Do you think it was at that moment that they had views on you?

(hesitates) I do not know, but I had several proposals for D1 clubs. So I do not know if it's from the match, or it's from previous matches, I could not tell you.


Life is choices, decisions, regrets ... Do you regret certain things?

In a club ? No, I went to Metz, where I had a good season. When I arrived in Montpellier in my first season, I scored a lot of goals, so yes it was pretty good [my debut with Montpellier].


You were not afraid of being too much confronted with the competition, because you were young and more, when you joined Montpellier?

(thinks) No, I did not really ask myself questions, but I knew it was the best [players] who were going to play. I knew what to expect when joining Montpellier and I did not make plans etc .. I knew that I had to win my place in the team [starting for matches].
My first wish was to move forward. After I do not know if Metz would have remained in D1, if I had not stayed in the club to continue my progression [playing more games in first team] before joining a big club ... But when Montpellier m ' Called to offer me their project, I was really happy, plus it's a family club and now I do not regret my choice.


In Metz you were really the star of the team ...

Well, I arrived in Metz, I was a person like any other. Besides, I only knew Juliane [Gathrat] and Héloïse [Mansuy].


Your visit to Henin-Beaumont, is this the moment that has taught you the most mentally?

Yes. When I was in Henin-Beaumont, I had to find a club that was not too far from the pole [Liévin] not to make too much displacement and I think we had to stay in the region more [at the level of club].


From what I saw during your matches, I think you have a real intelligence game You are very young but like many players, you have matured very quickly. Do you feel it on your side?

Yes, you're young, but you have to mature quickly in your game. My second year with Montpellier was quite complicated because I made the U20 World Cup between November and December (from 13 to 3 ), and even at the level of playing time ...


You played in DH at one time with Montpellier. My question may be "naïve" in quotation marks, but in the most important football is still playing and face the competition, when you play DH you still have the pleasure of scoring? Even if it's not the same feeling as scoring in D1 ...

Yes that's for sure [there's the pleasure of scoring] but it's frustrating, because we won with heavy scores, 17-0. After when I'm in DH, I play my normal game and it's not because I'm in DH that I will not play.

I've read in some of your interviews that you say you can play on the sides, but I've seen you playing axially more often. How do you see your game? (she asks me to specify) You like to make the moves, return below to get the ball, be in the penalty area, have the ball and go to the goal ... What is your favorite post?

In fact to Hénin-Beaumont I was on one side, in youth selection I played in tip, while in Metz I was rather forward center but also offensive midfield.
In Montpellier, it's more my power of play and my dribbling that are put to profit in the service of the team, I work a lot in this sense [my game].
I can play either middle, on the sides or center forward I think.


When you signed with Montpellier, for your interview with the club you said you're a percussion player, fast. I think you're also a player who analyzes situations well.

Yes after me I do not take my head [on the ground]. I like to hit the goal, be fast, powerful.


This season you have three challenges at the same time, you play the Champions League, the Coupe de France and the championship can be with the second place especially in line of sight more than the trophy (behind Lyon)?

Yes it's the first year that I play on all three tables so I would like to win at least one, even if the championship that may be a little complicated with Lyon, it's true. We play the matches to win them, after we go match by match.
Yes there is also 2nd place against Paris, synonymous with direct qualification for the Champions League. It's a big season where I have to prove myself, plus there's the 2019 World Cup coming up.


The french team

To talk about it, Corinne Deacon has been doing a lot of testing since coming to the top of the French team, and you told me that you did not have a favorite position ... We feel that there is to be a lack of offensive lately in team of France (defeat 0-4 against Germany, draws against Sweden 0-0 and Italy 1-1). Are you heading over to this post in your head?

I work on everything, but never on a particular aspect in my game. Now you have to be very versatile [in football], there is no real post "assigned". We have positions, but in relation to our positions on the field we can move, substitute or replace a player on her position and everyone can score. It's also a way to try to square a team. And we must always make efforts for her teammates.


There is the She Believes Cup (in March) coming in, that must be one of your goals to go there?

Yes it remains one of my objectives, inevitably, after we will see what will happen. Already we are focusing on Lyon and we will make every game, one after the other [before the selection].

Lyon will be a big challenge, especially after the first leg (5-0 defeat)?

Yes it was very complicated to go (white). We are going to make a result, it's not because Lyon is not going to play our game.


To talk about the selection against Italy you came into the game but I felt very comfortable on this meeting.

Yes finally already come back during the match, which was a bit complicated, it was not easy. I was forward [against Italy], when I came back there was a little stress but once on the ground, he left. When you are warming up and the coach calls you, you have a little stress and the excitement of playing (smiling). I had a shot that did not go far from goal, it's a shame.


In this match against Italy, you made the effort, you made calls too, you even had a chance to score but you did not receive the ball at that moment, yet you had made available. Is that the point you're analyzing a little bit when you're reviewing the game maybe? Do not we sometimes say, "why did not I sit there, why did not I make that choice" ...

(she thinks) We do not make enough available in the matches? Yes, that's it, it's the video that allows us to progress because when we are in the game we are in the game, we do not realize. But when we look at the video, we say "we should have done that, we should have put ourselves there, maybe if we had gone there, we might have had the ball and scored". There's a lot of stuff coming into play [in the game itself].


Your first "selection" in A, it was against Brazil and there was a victory there for once, and I saw that you were really proud to join "the big court".

Yes against Brazil, I came back two minutes and I did not touch a ball for my first selection (laughs). I was 19 that year, I did not expect to be called at 19, but it's still good to do it at that age.


We can say that you had the confidence of several coaches including Gilles Eyquem young for example. But how do you explain that you are in club "a joker" if you can say? This situation you saw how we do not count enough on you?

Yes I always got along well with the coaches I had in youth. In Montpellier, the first season I played a lot like I told you, the second season it was a little more complicated, like this beginning of the season but then I come back a little more as a holder. For me, playing 90 minutes or 30 minutes, you have to play them thoroughly.
(thinks) If I think Montpellier has always counted on me. After I did not have a lot of playing time at the beginning of the season, but I continued to work, I dropped nothing and now I see that my efforts have paid off because I am more and more titular, I scoring goals and I was called back in selection.


Why do you think you are not a club and team player in France? It may be your discretion, which is a quality but also a defect?

I do not know, it's a good question. It's hard to answer because I make my matches, I give it my all. After these are the choices of the coaches, I must stick to it.
Yes I am discreet with some people, not everyone (laughs). But frankly I could not tell you. It's the coach's decisions, it's the competition and you have to accept it. One day or another we'll see [if I'm lucky].


You knew all the young selections, the Liévin pole, your course was traced in your head?

Not even, it's just that I started soccer very young (at age 5) and as and when I made decisions, I went to a club then another and that's it.


Beyond your foolproof mind you have the impression. (she asks me again to explain what I think by that) That is to say that you do not let yourself be overcome by your emotions, when there are difficult moments you do not let them appear and you pass over especially ... It's hard to do nothing to let perceive.

(She cuts me off) Ah that's exactly it.
Even when there are difficult moments, sometimes it's annoying but I do not trust too much, I keep everything for myself.


The captaincy

You were captain of U19, I think it's a double-faced event, where you had to be proud but with big responsibilities, and then with this match lost against Spain on penalties, it must have been a bit to play on your morale?

Yes the semifinal yes (she remembers the event and evokes his failed penalty). I think that if ... After I think we will miss things in life, but the moment it is ... it puts a blow to the morale.


"Overall you must never let go."


Two months after that, you're called in A. It was a learning a little bit in pain, but it got you e.When you signed with Montpellier, for your interview with the club you said that you are a percussion player, fast. I think you're also a player who analyzes situations well. Yes after me I do not take my head [on the ground]. I like to hit the goal, be fast, powerful.