As of September 15, 2022, the most decisive football player in the world (across all first division championships) is a striker trained … at DFCO. Rayan Philippe, 21, is a hit with his club Swift Hesperange, in D1 Luxembourg. Six games played, seven goals and nine assists, he is involved in 16 of the 22 goals scored by his team since the start of the season. Interview with Rayan Philippe, trained at DFCO from 2015, professional with the “Reds” in 2020, who played four matches in Ligue 1 (including one start) with Dijon and who joined Luxembourg after the termination of his contract at summer 2021.
– Screenshot – Transfermarkt
Rayan, how does it feel to be the most decisive player in the world?
Yes, well after all things considered, I don’t play at the same level as Neymar or anything (laughs). But if we’re just talking in terms of statistics, I’m the first.
Last year, you played 14 games, for “only” seven goals and two assists. How do you explain that you are so prolific?
It’s just the fact of being able to chain the matches. Last year, it was a bit complicated, I arrived in the middle of the season. There were a lot of changes of coaches, I played, I didn’t play, I played, I didn’t play… It was a bit complicated. We also had to adapt to a new championship. There, since the beginning of the season, everything has been going well. The championship begins, I play all the matches. Have pace and confidence, stats and performance follow.
The Luxembourg media describe you as an ultra-fast player, you were even “flashed” at 36 km / h, yet speed is not necessarily a quality that you showed in Dijon?
I’ve always been a fast player, but before I didn’t use my speed that much. Since I arrived here, I use it a lot more. Inevitably, it shocks people a bit, they weren’t expecting it. I play on a corridor, especially on the left side. At the DFCO, at the academy, with the reserve or the pros, I always played in front, in the worst case with two attackers – in nine and a half.
When I arrived in Luxembourg, in Hesperange, we were a lot of attackers. The coach decided to put on the side or number ten. It was really this year that I started on my left side. I discovered a new job!
Do you think you can maintain these statistics and this efficiency throughout the season?
It is the objective ! I will even try to do even more, I know I can do it. But already, if I keep this rhythm, it would already be exceptional. I will try to show that I can do more.
Why did you choose the Luxembourg championship, after the termination of your contract with Dijon in the summer of 2021?
I knew that in Dijon, they weren’t counting on me, which I can understand. I preferred to go to Luxembourg to find playing time, find pleasure, and use it as a springboard to hope to go back to the top level, if possible.
You didn’t have the opportunity to stay in France?
When I left Dijon, I had no offers in Ligue 2 and almost nothing in National. Nothing that made me want to leave anyway. I preferred to go to Luxembourg because I felt it more than the few clubs in National.
What is the level of Luxembourg’s D1?
I don’t know what it could be compared to. In preparation, we won against a German D2 and drew against a D3. We also played against Sedan (National 1), we went 1-1. I think our team has a level equivalent to the French National. Afterwards, the championship is a bit varied, some teams are at our level, others are weaker.
Do you hope to benefit from good exposure, from playing in the first division?
Inevitably, it is followed. Not like Ligue 1 (laughs), but by other clubs in neighboring countries. There is Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, France, it is followed because it is the possibility of recovering players “who are not worth very much”. There are quality players in this league, so these countries follow Luxembourg a lot. In terms of visibility, it’s good for me!
The Luxembourg championship is semi-professional. What is your Rayan status?
Professional. But yes, there are players who are not considered professional. It was important for me to try to stay in the professional world.
Is it a popular championship? Who is followed?
There are a few people in the stadiums, but nothing to do with France. It’s less of a football country. There are still people, but it doesn’t fill stadiums like in France, it’s different.
You refer to this passage in Luxembourg D1 as “a springboard”. A springboard to what?
Inevitably, try to go back up and go as high as possible. Not necessarily only in France, but to find the high level. It didn’t necessarily go very well before, I was probably too young, without experience. I gained maturity, experience, I am now trying to go back and show that it was just a problem of youth, and not of quality.
A problem of youth?
Already, the fact of continually wanting to play in front, whereas finally, today, I realize that I am much better on my side. Same for speed, I hardly used it, whereas today it is one of my main qualities. I was playing without using my best quality. Inevitably, you are less efficient, suddenly we think that you do not have the level, whereas I was just not using my potential at 100%.
Since I was playing in front, I was trying to learn to play with my back to goal, I was trying not to have any technical waste, to be the best in finishing. I was concentrating on other things. In the end, I realized that you have to play with your qualities AND try to correct your faults, but you can’t just correct your faults and forget your qualities.
With your journey, do you feel revengeful?
Revenge yes and no. I have no hatred or resentment towards anyone. I only blame myself, I blame no one.
You are under contract until next June (2023). The question of your future will quickly arise!
For now, I don’t know at all. I intend to spend my year here, put as many goals and assists as possible, try to win the championship and the Cup. I want to try to win everything, and at the end of the season we will see what is available to me.
Do you continue to follow the adventures of DFCO in Ligue 2?
Obviously ! A very good start to the season, it’s going pretty well, despite the three defeats in a row. I am still in contact with some players.
How did the DFCO adventure end?
Properly, we have agreed to terminate the contract. They weren’t counting on me anymore. Me, I did not intend to stay to play with the reserve team.
Four games played in Ligue 1 at the start of the 2020/21 season, what memories do you have of these stints with the DFCO first team?
Of course, good memories. Some regrets for not having played more on my qualities.
Do you have the feeling of having been launched too quickly into the deep end?
Maybe, but I can’t complain! When you’re 18 and you’re lucky enough to be able to get into Ligue 1 and play, you don’t think about getting burned. We try to play, to make the most of every moment, because being able to play in Ligue 1 at 18 is beautiful.
Have any members of the DFCO congratulated you on your record start to the season?
I had members of the association. My former coach, Stefano Mazzolini (former U17 coach), Sébastien Degrande (former director of the training center). And then lots of players who are no longer at the DFCO (laughs): Enzo Loiodice, Théo Barbet, Levi Ntumba..
It’s funny, you only mention players trained at the DFCO, and who, like you, did not win in the first team…
A young person from the training center who goes up with the pros, even if we manage to spend a year or two there, we will always have this status of “young person from the center”. It will always be more complicated, and unfortunately this is the case in many clubs, not only in Dijon. Even if we would all like to shine from the start in our clubs, we have to look a little bit elsewhere to get tougher.