The Monaco player discusses his father, the midfielders he copies and whether he could join the Premier League
As I enter the room, Lamine Camara picks up a football that he won’t let go of until after the interview. It’s a simple visual metaphor for a dream he has never let slip. “I only wanted football; I was focused solely on that,” says the Monaco and Senegal midfielder. His determination and talent convinced Génération Foot, Metz and Monaco to sign him. Although the hardest person to convince was not a sporting director or manager, but his own father.
“He didn’t want me to play football but it’s because he hadn’t seen me play,” says Camara. “He didn’t know anything about football but people came up to him and said: ‘Your son knows how to play. You have to help him.’” Eventually, on “one beautiful day”, Camara earned his father’s blessing and pursued a career in the game. His small stature was another hurdle and it deterred local club Casa Sports from handing him a contract.
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