Pau FC midfielder: 'Quang Hai is timid'

- Henri Saivet, he has returned to action after one season as a free agent, since leaving Newcastle in the summer of 2021. Why did you make that decision?

- The past time has been complicated, as I have no plans for the medium and long term. The past year has been really long. I even sometimes tell myself if I'm a good player, and if I should retire. But when I received an offer to move to the Middle East, I found motivation again. I understand that there are still people who believe in my abilities. But my priority is to stay in Europe and France.

- Does a player with international experience like him have a barrier to finding a new team?

- Given that I used to play in the Premier League, many teams thought they weren't financially fit to sign me. But when negotiating, they were surprised with my position, since I had no specific requirements. I simply wanted to play football again. Moreover, Covid-19 has also impacted my problems as well as many other players who are not joining any team.

- How do you maintain your fighting spirit?

- First I told myself that I should always be ready to play for any team. I've always kept the fire of dedication. While what happened this past year has been complicated, I'm optimistic and think things will go on the right trajectory. And Pau FC brought me back to football.

- You had to train on your own for the past year, and how did that go?

- Initially, I maintained the frequency of workouts. But after a while, I told myself that I could practice a little less. Because then the teams did not recruit players. At that time, I had more free time to focus on other things. I maintained a strong spirit and avoided breakdowns by not focusing entirely on football at that time.

- So what do you focus on?

- I see basketball as an outlet. I played a little bit, and mostly went to watch basketball games. I went to the U.S. to watch the NBA. Because I know many French basketball players, I also go to see their league.

- And pau finally gave you a chance, how did you feel then?

- I'm glad to have Pau given the opportunity to train with. It's understandable when the team wonders about my abilities, saying: Why doesn't such a player play for any team?. 15 days after the end of last season, Pau invited me over to see the maggots. Right at the first practice, I came back as a kid, kicking every ball on the field. I've missed that feeling, being on the field, communicating with teammates, creating chances and scoring goals.

After the first training session, coach Didier Tholot told me that he was surprised and glad to have me here. So the probationary process went well, and we quickly reached an agreement. I'm glad Pau is the team I need.

- What goals do you set when returning to Ligue 2?

- At this time, it is difficult for me to set any goal. The first task that came to my head was to determine what my physical strength was, to meet the team's needs. I hope I can take Pau to another level, based on my experience. The next season will be very difficult because the four Ligue 2 teams have to relegate, and only two teams are ranked. We must show personality to achieve relegation goals. But I think Pau can create interesting surprises. The team welcomes many summer rookie 2022, so we still need to find the best, so that the whole team will promote their full potential.

- How do you expect to contribute on the field?

- By this time of my career, I mainly played on techniques, helping the home team bring the ball higher. I did not take the ball so I tried to catch up well with my new teammates. I mainly kicked the midfielder, but when I was in Bordeaux sometimes I played my wings and even the striker. Coach Didier Tholot wants to use many different systems. I can play well in the public position, a shuttle midfielder or kick both boundaries.

- You know coach Tholot before coming to Pau, right?

- I'm a Bordeaux player so I wanted him when I was a player from 1995-1997. He later led Libourne Club near Bordeaux. I used to play against his team (FC Sion), when I played for Bordeaux in the 2015-2016 season. Tholot was sincere and made it clear what he expected of me.

- This summer Pau also made headlines by recruiting the first Vietnamese player in Ligue 2 history Nguyen Quang Hai. What's his situation like?

- Due to the language barrier, Quang Hai is in the same translator. That person taught Quang Hai basic words about football and our name. Everything progressed well, even though he sometimes had problems when communicating on the pitch. The problem is also normal because Quang Hai comes from a remote country and needs a lot of learning. But he has made great efforts and progress compared to the launch.

Quang Hai is a player worth watching, and we also see his left foot. He is still a bit timid because he does not understand the new environment. We encourage you to ignore the barriers. The whole team also kept telling Quang Hai: 'You are here because you are good enough. "

- You have the obligation to transfer Quang Hai symbolizing the development of Ligue 2 since the first time you played at this tournament for Angers in 2011?

- When I was playing for Angers, Ligue 2 had another style. At that time, the teams played much more physically. The referees are more open to us, like the British. I still remember my first match in Boulologne-Sur-Mer, it rained so hard that the ball rolled was difficult, but the match was like the war.

Currently, the Ligue 2 surface is much better, the player is also higher. I always watched this tournament. Last season, I saw Toulouse performing a beautiful attack on Auxerre. I watched that match to cheer my friend in Auxerre Gaetan Charbonnier, when the two of them used to play together in Angers. I also watched Sochaux, because coach Omar Daf worked with me in Senegal. I have discussed with Omar about the style of playing football, when he got a coach. Although I don't remember the entire player, I believe I know at least one person in all 19 Ligue 2 teams, like Zargo Toure in Dijon, Paul Lasne in Paris FC because we used to practice together in Bordeaux, or Matthieu Gorgelin in Le Havre because we used to be a young French player.