Quadruple nationality, wonderkid, silent… Who is Michael Olise, the player who steals the show with the Blues?

The general public has discovered the 22-year-old player, who has already made a name for himself in the Premier League with Crystal Palace, to the point of attracting the interest of several national teams.

Without Kylian Mbappé or Antoine Griezmann, the French Olympic football team is not lacking in talent. Thierry Henry’s team is playing for its place in the tournament final on Monday, August 5, against Egypt in Lyon (9 p.m. on France 3) and will be able to count on its offensive figureheads: the two jokers Alexandre Lacazette and Jean-Philippe Mateta, but also and above all Michael Olise.

The 22-year-old whirling midfielder, recruited by Bayern Munich just before the Olympics, was directly involved in four of the eight French goals (1 goal, 3 assists). Above all, he was decisive in opening the scoring in the three games he started. Symbolically placed at the heart of Thierry Henry’s tactical system, in the axis, between the midfielders and the attackers, he is the “thrill” player of this French team aiming for Olympic gold.

Four nationalities, one team

He had the choice between France, Algeria (on his mother’s side), England and Nigeria (on his father’s side). Michael Olise has chosen Les Bleus since 2019, at the age of 17. Called up with the U18s and then the French Espoirs, it was natural to find him in Thierry Henry’s list for this Olympic tournament. The coach knows very well that he has a gem and was keen to salute his choice on June 17: “He could perhaps have played in the Euro with England and he chose France. It must be emphasised.”

Technically, the player concerned can still choose to represent another national team, having not yet played an official match with Didier Deschamps’ senior team. His little brother Richard, a right-back at Chelsea, has opted for England. This is why everything is being done to ensure that the man who grew up across the Channel, with his mother’s only connection to France being conversations in the language of Molière, feels comfortable in the group. “He can speak French, but he is not bilingual. He understands more than he speaks.”confided Jean-Philippe Mateta, his teammate at Crystal Palace and at the Olympics, two years ago.

A prodigy who had to learn rigor

“Patrick Vieira (Olise’s England coach from 2021 to 2023) spoke to me about it first. He said to me ‘There’s a little one, he’s not bad here and he wants to play for France.'” Thierry Henry is charmed by his attacking midfielder with his devastating dribbling. “If he hadn’t gotten injured this year, I think he could have scored 16 goals, given 12 assists. [il a bouclé la saison de Premier League à dix buts, six passes]“, insisted the coach at the start of the meeting.

“Michael was the best player in his age group throughout his career. Sometimes it almost worked against him: he couldn’t understand the need to work so hard,” explained Sean Conlon, the player’s trainer at the We Make Footballers academy, to So FootThe kid has carved out such a reputation for himself that he has passed through the academies of Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal. That says as much about his talent as it does about his difficulty in fitting in.

“He drove more than one coach crazy, Mark Bowen remembers for London News Onlinehe who launched Michael Olise into the pros with Reading. He played in an off-centre position and delivered a few brilliant shots, before losing the ball. And then he came back walking.” “There were times when we were in control of the game and he would come and get the ball next to the goalkeeper at the end of the game and try to dribble past everyone. At the time, we didn’t find it funny, but looking back, it’s quite funny now. This guy probably thought we weren’t very good at football.”tracked down his former teammate Tom McIntyre for The Athletic.

When he discovered the jewel upon his arrival at Crystal Palace, Patrick Vieira was aware that there was still a long way to go. “We have to understand that it will take time for him to be a Premier League player,” he warned in October 2021. Less than three years later, Michael Olise has become one of the most exciting players to watch in the Premier League and an undisputed starter. Against Argentina (1-0) on Friday, he spared no effort in defense.

Very distant from the press

“Wilfried (Zaha) passed me the ball. I shot. I scored.” When an English journalist asked him to talk about his winning goal scored in the 94th minute against West Ham, for one of his rare appearances on camera, Michael Olise was not the type to talk. This interview, during which he was repeatedly asked (in vain), had made the rounds on social networks in the fall of 2022.

At the big press conference held before the start of the Olympic tournament, Bayern Munich’s newest recruit once again distinguished himself by his total disinterest in the media task. Questioned at the same time as Enzo Millot on the special flavour of playing in the Olympics at home, he simply replied “I agree” after a long silence. Then asked about his possible memories of the London Olympics in 2012, Olise asked to repeat the question, before sticking to five words: “I do not remember.”

Blocking journalists? Simple disinterest? Pathological introversion? None of these things according to a member of the Blues’ staff. “He’s quite quiet, but not self-effacing. He doesn’t talk much, but he can be funny.” For example, he was seen cheating in a playful exercise during training. A mischievousness that can be found in his game, made up of feints, changes of direction and vertical passes, and which will be essential to find the flaw against an Egyptian team that could very well decide to put the bus in front of its goal.