The explosion of joy of Wesley Fofana, after seven months on the mat

He was due to return last week for the first leg against Rennes at the King Power Stadium. Caught up by the Covid-19, Wesley Fofana had to wait seven additional days to return to competition. He was no longer close to that… For seven months, the Leicester player had been in treatment, victim of a horrible fracture of the fibula during a friendly match against Villareal. Annoyed at having taken a sole from the Frenchman, the Spaniard Fer Nino had stupidly avenged himself with a nasty tackle, breaking the leg of the Leicester defender. While his coach had maintained the hope of seeing him return at the end of December, the former Stéphanois had to wait until March to return to competition. Well he took it. This Thursday, against Stade Rennais, the Frenchman shone.

After a first half where his team was deprived of the ball by Stade Rennais, Wesley Fofana scored his first goal with Leicester with a magnificent header that equalized. After seven months of absence, the defender immediately exploded with joy, running to throw into the arms of his coach Brendan Rodgers. “It’s moments like that that you want to live when you’re pro. I wanted to come back as soon as possible with the group, I was very impatient. Tonight, I score my first goal with the club and it means qualification. It’s extraordinary, ”replied the young defender at a press conference. Did he have a presentiment before finding a French club? “Ah no, zero premonition. I just wanted to play, ”he replied to the English press (but in French).

I have never wanted a player to do so well, the talent he has, the passion he has, an amazing person and footballer.

Wesley Fofana is going right to the very top, and I have no doubts about it.

This man is an absolute king. pic.twitter.com/5oHcUl4fEs

—Jack (@Jack1Whitman) March 17, 2022

The young French defender, who shone with Saint-Étienne at the age of 19, left ASSE in September 2020, in return for a check for 40 million euros offered by Leicester. The international hopes then became the biggest sale in the history of the Greens. Flocked with his number 3, the Frenchman brought his physique to the defense of the Foxes but also a technical background which some of his teammates seemed to lack. He gradually lowered his footing and was even dropped by Adrien Truffert, with whom he plays for the Espoirs, on the second Rennes goal scored by Flavien Tait. “The legs, it no longer followed. I was starting to have cramps. I didn’t want to take any risks. »

Reindeer? “It works out pretty well for me”

Brendan Rodgers then decided to release it and it showed. Too low, the English block crumbled and often cracked, without conceding this third goal. “He was waiting so much to play, I’m delighted for him. He’s on his way to being a very, very great player,” the Foxes coach said. When he left, the English defense used his legs (but also his elbows and his arms) to prevent Stade Rennais from scoring, giving Fofana the status of a people’s hero. “I had good memories against Rennes when I played with Saint-Étienne (French Cup semi-final won in 2020). We will say that I like playing against Rennes. It works out pretty well for me. ” Good for him. Too bad for Rennes.