"My job was to look for a France-based talent born in 1997 who could go on to have a stellar career. After a great deal of research, I narrowed it down from my shortlist of five by asking questions not about the players' football ability, but about other attributes: resilience, adaptability, decision-making, creativity, work ethic, response to feedback and willingness to learn."
"Those intangible qualities were in full effect on the night Dembele made good on his years of promise. The defining image of Paris Saint-Germain's 5-0 win over Inter in the 2025 Champions League final was not the trophy lift, or any one of the goal celebrations, but Dembele, poised on the edge of the opposition penalty area, with hunched demeanour and furrowed brow, his face a picture of focus, ready to press."
Ousmane Dembele's progression reflects how intangible qualities elevate talent. Early recognition included France's young player of the year award and helping Borussia Dortmund win the German Cup. Dembele displayed resilience, adaptability, decision-making, creativity, work ethic, responsiveness to feedback and willingness to learn. Those qualities were evident in Paris Saint-Germain's 5-0 win over Inter in the 2025 Champions League final, where Dembele stood poised on the edge of the penalty area, focused and ready to press. Dembele was later voted best male player by a 219-strong Guardian voting panel. The path to greatness is not always linear.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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