There are trajectories on which it is sometimes complicated to put words. That of Bryan Mbeumo, the former little protégé of the dawn stadium now called to re -enchant the theater of dreams, is one. When he left his Troyes training club in 2019 to join Brentford, then in Championship, some qualified his choice as “reckless”, others as “insane”. Because yes, the native of Avallon (Yonne) could have played security by giving in to the sirens of Ligue 1, a possible first door to the very high level. But it was not the kind of guy, sure of his qualities but decided to do things in order.
“At first, he didn't play much with us”remembers his former teammate in Troyes, Rayan Raveloson, now in Young Boys. “He had to take his pain in patience before finishing his first season as a holder. But what marked me with Bryan was his requirement with himself, already at 18/19 years old. When he missed a gesture, he sulked and we laughed so much that it had become a “ref” in the locker room. We imitated him to annoy him ”laughs the Malagasy international. Yehvann Diouf, now a goalkeeper of the Nice and Senegalese OGC, adds: “At school, he grumbled when the teacher only resumed him when he was not the only one to have chatted. And in football, he could clog for a failed check, then lose control over his match. He knew how to erase it with experience. ”
For Franck Ellé, winner of the Gambardella Cup in 2018 with Mbeumo, this sulky side already denote a form of rigor in the boy: “We called him “the sulky” “”traces the one who teams up with Mbeumo for 5 years. When he arrived at the U15 training center, he got angry as soon as he missed a pass or control. But it is by growing up that we understood that it was at the same time a form of requirement that we may not have, we. Mentally, he was conditioned. ” This discipline already perceptible very early, Mbeumo also found it with his father, a former high-level bodybuilder. He knew how to capitalize on this maturity, coupled with his obvious football qualities even if he did not appear as the most talented of his generation at the start.
Not the most obvious talent to detect during its early years
Arrived at the Troyes training center in 2013 from Avallon, a provincial club located less than an hour from Auxerre, Mbeumo takes its marks in discretion. Its evolution is progressive, and during its first years, it is not the most obvious talent to detect in the youth teams of the ESTAC, even if the potential is there. Bilal Brahimi, today in Caen, Brandon Domingues, freshly recruited by Oviedo en Liga, or Yehvann Diouf, younger player to sign Pro in Troyes (16 and 297 days), are then the ambassadors of this 1999/2000 generation. Calvin Bombo, captain of the time and regularly called in the French team, develops:
“Between U15 and U16, he did not really go into the discussion to be called in the French team because there were people at his post: Moussa Diaby, Amine Gouiri and Lenny Pintor who were sometimes upgraded, Yassin Fortuné who was at Arsenal, Moussa Sylla de Monaco … but he progressed faster than normal”he recalls. Franck Ellé retains the image of a player already turned towards the collective, very early. With an anecdote: “In the semi-finals of the U17 play-offs, we face Moussa Diaby's PSG, Boubakary Soumaré, Yacine Adli, Antoine Bernede, Claudio Gomes … We take a red card after 30 minutes of play and the coach does not know who put in the post of left side. Bryan accepted, he made a huge match with (Timothy) Weah on his side. Unfortunately, we lose at the very end on a free kick from Adli (2-1). ” Benjamin Bureau, regular coach of this generation that has become “BB generation” At the club (its initials), rewinding.
“”Bryan already had a big capacity for efforts in his corridor, he liked to defend and that is why I had back to PSG. He had to relieve in his head that dayhe smiles today. But he was a player still at the service of the collective. For me, he could already have been called to the French team (U17) at that time, we flew over the championship and we were in the semi-final of Play-off (Editor's note: to two players, the eleven of this lost semi-final against Paris was the same as in the Gambardella final won against Tours two years later). He really spent a course at the training center, and given his seriousness and his qualities, it was clear and clear for me that he would have a good career. ” Yehvann Diouf, who spent a rally in the French U18 team with Mbeumo, approves: “Younger, the players more watched were those who played in” big clubs “. We were in Troyes, an L2 club, it weighed less. But this period marked the start of the click for Bryan. Then the year of the Gambardella, this is where the way is traced. ”
Gambardella as an accelerator
It is indeed at this period that everything accelerates for Mbeumo. The following months are decisive in its evolution: it spends a real cap in efficiency and regularity, asserts itself as the player impacting in the big moments, and at 18 years, he made his first appearances in reserve. Again, the compensation is validated. Chaouki Ben Saada, a former Tunisian international, remembers: “I came back from injury and I played with the reserve. Coach Gharib Amzine came to see me before the match to say to me: “Look at the little girl in front, send him deep, he goes very quickly.” This is what I did, and for the anecdote, I had made him a assist. We win the match 1-0.The obstinacy and the will he puts on a daily basis, almost until the obsession, escapes no one. Ben Saada remembers it very well.
“Its speed, its explosiveness, and its left foot marked me. He came to work the kicks stopped with me after the sessions, and it had challenged me in the sense that it is rare that young people do it. When I saw him shoot, I understood: he already had the famous floating strike. ” Behind Yehvann Diouf, Mbeumo is the second “99” to win quickly in reserve. To the point that he only descends with his age category for Gambardella. Despite a trashy context, the pressure slips on him, and he is decisive to all the matches from the 64ths. “”There were expectations around him, knowing that he was already playing in reserve, and that we were going well without him in the leaguerecalls Franck Ellé. I have the memory of the 1/8th finals against Rennes, the big favorite. We were told that 8 players from their team were in the French team, that they played practically all in reserve. We needed a big Bryan and he took the team on his back. He scores after a crazy sequence, he holds us the whole match, and we win on penalties.»»
More than his football qualities, which are obvious, it is his capacity to rebound that marked Yehvann Diouf during this campaign. Like in this semi-final won at penalties against the Brest stadium by Lenny Pintor: “Bryan had passed a bit by missing 2 or 3 big opportunities in this match. But he quickly got his head back to the place and he won us the final just behind Tours by scoring a double (2-1). “ Franck Ellé, today in Palloilijat in Finland, adds: “Like Kylian (Mbappé) two years earlier against Lens, he is close to having doubled, the more decisive pass in the final, except that I shoot above the left foot on his center. Besides, after the final, we said to ourselves: “Two years ago, it was Kylian, now it's Bryan”. Even if we were all good, it was the name that came out and we told ourselves that he was going to go really far. ” That season, he also made his first entries in Ligue 1 with the professional group, before exploding in Ligue 2 during the following season, in 2018/2019. A 10 -goals season which will open the doors of Brentford despite the interests of Bordeaux or Nice.
Brentford, the explosion
For Calvin Bombo, his young captain he is still close, his success is also the result of reflected career choice. “We had talked about his transfer to Brentford, who had put investment to bring him, and more than L1 clubs. The leaders had moved to Troyes and he had immediately joined the project. Many people did not understand his choice but he was right: Brentford played the premier league playoffs in his first year, he played 46 games and scores 16 goals. ” At that time, he then formed a devastating triplet with Said Benrahma on the left, and Ollie Watkins in the forefront.
They three, they score 59 goals in the league (26 for Watkins who then signed at Aston Villa, 17 for Benrahma who joined West Ham and 16 for Mbeumo). The second season is finally good for Brentford, promoted to the Premier League. This time, Mbeumo shares the poster with Ivan Toney, author of 33 championship pawns. “He played with top players at Brentford, but he has always been holderrecalls Calvin Bombo. Then after their departure, it was in turn to take the lead. ” Until becoming Cameroonian international, score 20 goals in the Premier League last season, and convince Manchester United to make it the 6th most expensive recruit in its history (around 81 million euros, bonus included). “Even in young people, he did not score 20 league goals. It's madness “laughing today Franck Ellé.
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Still very close to Mbeumo today, their former coach Benjamin Bureau said he was barely surprised. “I am surprised without being surprised, it is the price of a player who scores 20 goals in the Premier League. Now what he wants is to play Europe. The challenge is beautiful because it's been 2 years since Manchester United is running average, and that they want to reverse the thing. They put the package, he is there for that, and he leaves to be holder ”. His words held in Mbeumo's ear six years ago also find meaning: “During his first year in Brentford, I went to see him play. The next day, we had been watched Arsenal – Everton because I had places by the Guendouzi family that I knew. Bryan was shy while he was playing in hopes with Matteo, who was soon to join the A. That day, I said to him: “I wish it one day it was to play in a big Premier League club.” The story is beautiful. Arsenal and Manchester United are two planetary clubs. ”
For Ravelosson, this transfer is not an end in itself. The former Auxerrois assures him, the best is yet to come for his ex-teammate: “I think we'll see him even better this season. I'm going to put a little pressure on him, I know he likes it. ” Yehvann Diouf Complete: “I am super proud of its evolution. He has always remained connected, simple, endearing, funny … Seeing him at Manchester United is pride. I don't worry because he has all the qualities to perform there and do even better than what he was doing in Brentford. He likes challenges and in terms of challenges, he will be served. »» History is now in Mbeumo to write it.
