Benjamin André
Benjamin Michel Édouard André (born 3 August 1990) is a French professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder or defensive midfielder for Ligue 1 club Lille.
| André with Lille in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Benjamin Michel Édouard André[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 3 August 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Nice, France | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder, Defensive midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Lille | ||
| Number | 21 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2006 | Stade Raphaëlois | ||
| 2006–2008 | Ajaccio | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2014 | Ajaccio | 187 | (12) |
| 2014–2019 | Rennes | 154 | (7) |
| 2019– | Lille | 100 | (5) |
| International career | |||
| 2010–2011 | France U21 | 7 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:00, 4 September 2022 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Ajaccio
André was with the Corsica-based club Ajaccio since he was 16 years old, joining the club as an academy player after arriving from his hometown of Nice in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. After gaining notice playing on the club's under-18 side, he was promoted to the senior squad for the 2008–09 season, despite being only 17 years old at the time of the promotion. André appeared sparingly early on in the season making his debut on 22 August 2008 against Sedan appearing as a substitute in a 1–1 draw.[3] He earned his first start in a Coupe de France match on 22 November 2008 against amateur side Bagnols Pont playing 120 minutes. The match went into a penalty shootout with the young André converting Ajaccio's final shootout goal ensuring the club's advancement to the next round.[4]
Five days later, he made his first league start in a 2–0 defeat to Boulogne.[5] Throughout the season, his starts increased and, despite Ajaccio's inconsistent play, became an instant revelation[6] helping the club reach the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France. He scored his first career goal of the season on the final match day of the season against Châteauroux in a 2–1 loss.[7] His best season with Ajaccio was the 2013–14 Ligue 1 season. Although Ajaccio were relegated, he provided four goals and five assists across all competitions.[8]
Rennes
In the summer transfer market of 2014, André signed with Rennes after six years at Ajaccio.[9] On 25 January 2015, he scored his first goal for Stade Rennais in a 4–1 loss against Caen.[10]
On 27 April 2019, he won the 2018–19 Coupe de France as Rennes beat league champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final, playing the full 120 minutes and lifting the trophy as the team captain.[11]
Lille
On 17 July 2019, André signed a four-year deal with Lille, for a reported €8 million transfer fee.[12][13] For his first season with Lille, he played his first UEFA Champions League games.
André quickly became an important player for Lille. He showed himself as a consistent performer and their midfield linchpin, as they won their fourth league title during the 2020–21 season, playing 35 league games and emerging as the team vice-captain.[14] Therefore, he was named in the UNFP Team of the Year.[15]
During the 2021–22 Lille OSC season, he participated in the 1–0 win against PSG in the Trophée des Champions, with the club winning that trophy for the first time ever.[16] Later, he helped the team to get out of the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League group stage and played against Chelsea in round of 16.[17]
On 7 August 2022, André started off the new season under new head coach Paulo Fonseca by scoring Lille's first goal in a 4–1 victory over Auxerre on the league opening weekend, 36 seconds after kick-off.[18]
On 12 January 2023, he extended his contract with Lille until 2026.[19]
Personal life
André was born in France to a Senegalese mother and a French father.[20]
Honours
Rennes
Lille
Individual
References
- ^ "FABAFO". BFM Verif (in French). NextInteractive. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
"Benjamin Andre". BFM Business (in French). NextInteractive. Retrieved 19 September 2021. - ^ "Andre" (in French). Lille OSC. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ^ "Sedan v. Ajaccio Match Report". Ligue de Football Professionnel.
- ^ "Bagnols v. Ajaccion Match Report". Ligue de Football Professionnel.
- ^ "Ajaccio v. Boulogne Match Report". Ligue de Football Professionnel.
- ^ "EspoirsduFootball.com".
- ^ "Châteauroux v. Ajaccio Match Report". Ligue de Football Professionnel.
- ^ "Player Profile: Benjamin André". Ligue de Football Professionnel. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
- ^ "B. André rejoint Rennes (in French)". L'Équipe. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
- ^ "Stade Rennais FC - SM Caen (1-4) - Saison 2014/2015 - Ligue 1 Conforama". Ligue de Football Professionnel.
- ^ a b Scott, A. (27 April 2019). . Ligue 1. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- ^ "Benjamin André a signé". Lille OSC. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
- ^ "Transferts : Benjamin André quitte Rennes pour Lille". L'Équipe (in French). 17 July 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Lille hold their nerve to clinch their first Ligue 1 title for a decade". The Guardian. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Trophées UNFP : cinq Parisiens, deux Lillois et deux Lyonnais dans l'équipe type" [Trophées UNFP : five Parisiens, two Lillois and two Lyonnais in the typical team]. Le Figaro (in French). 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Lille 1–0 Paris Saint-Germain: Les Dogues clinch first French Super Cup". Sky Sports. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ^ "A nouveau battu par Chelsea, Lille éliminé de la Ligue des champions en huitièmes de finale". Le Monde (in French). 16 March 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- ^ Coldefy, Quentin (7 August 2022). "Auxerre refroidi d'entrée à Lille pour son retour en Ligue 1". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- ^ "Benjamin André est un Dogue et le restera jusqu'en 2026 !". LOSC.fr (in French). 12 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ "De Saint-Raphaël à Rennes : Itinéraire de Benjamin André, le maître à jouer du Stade Rennais". France Football.
External links
- Benjamin André at the French Football Federation (in French)