"As I enter the room, Lamine Camara picks up a football that he won't let go of until after the interview. It's a simple visual metaphor for a dream he has never let slip. I only wanted football; I was focused solely on that, says the Monaco and Senegal midfielder. His determination and talent convinced Generation Foot, Metz and Monaco to sign him."
"Although the hardest person to convince was not a sporting director or manager, but his own father. He didn't want me to play football but it's because he hadn't seen me play, says Camara. He didn't know anything about football but people came up to him and said: Your son knows how to play. You have to help him.' Eventually, on one beautiful day, Camara earned his father's blessing and pursued a career in the game."
"His small stature was another hurdle and it deterred local club Casa Sports from handing him a contract. However, Generation Foot the club that produced Sadio Mane, Papiss Cisse and Ismaila Sarr were convinced immediately. Camara was named the best player in a regional tournament while playing for Casa Sports and Generation Foot were shocked to discover the midfielder did not have a contract."
Lamine Camara kept a football with him as a symbol of his lifelong focus on the sport. Determination and talent convinced Generation Foot, Metz and Monaco to sign him despite early resistance from his father, who initially did not want him to play because he had not seen him perform. Local club Casa Sports rejected him over his small stature, but Generation Foot recruited him after he was named best player in a regional tournament. The 2023 breakthrough included winning the African Nations Championship, playing and being named best player at the Under-20 AFCON, and moving to Europe with a Metz signing.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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