There was always going to be a settling-in period – off and on the field – but the attacking midfielder or winger has made swift progress. Old impressed in pre-season matches in France, Spain, and Germany and got his first goal for the club – a sweet long-range strike – last weekend in a 3-2 win over Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel. His output has been noticed and the All White is a strong contender to start in the opening game of the season at Monaco (Sunday 7am NZT).
“He has impressed a lot of people,” local football writer Laurent Hess told the Weekend Herald. “The club are happy with what they are seeing, especially from someone new to the club and new to France. He started the last pre-season game and that is usually a sign of what the coach is thinking.”
Like many pundits here, Old’s signing came out of the blue.
“We had the new owners [Kilmer Sports Ventures] take over in June,” explains Hess. “They work a lot with data to find players and Ben was the first player they signed. The first recruit. People were surprised – ‘Okay, a player from New Zealand, from Wellington, that’s different.”
Early indications are promising. He has been used in a variety of positions – on the wing, as a midfield six or eight, or as a playmaker in a No 10 role.
“He is versatile and has adapted well,” says Hess. “Of course pre-season is different but there are good signs.”
His form has also pleased club insiders.
“He is showing a lot,” said one. “He is probably ahead of where many people expected.”
Bill Tuiloma is the only Kiwi to take the field in Ligue 1, though he never started a match. Tuiloma was signed to a youth deal with Marseille in 2013 and made three appearances off the bench, with most of his time confined to the reserve team, before he moved on to the United States in 2017.
Old’s move was an ambitious one. He had options in England, the Netherlands and the United States but was excited by the vision of the new owners, the possibilities that Ligue 1 entails and the challenge of living and playing in France. Old was also encouraged by the style espoused by the coach and felt there would be opportunities for significant game time.
Still, the challenge can’t be underestimated. Though the likes of PSG, Marseille, Lille, Monaco and Lyon are the traditional heavyweights, there will be no simple games for a newly promoted club, as the squad adjusts to Ligue 1. The French league can also be tough for attacking players. There are a truckload of big, imposing, physical defenders and most clubs value a strong defensive shape.
“Mbappe has dominated but he is Mbappe,” says Hess. “But it’s not easy here. Look at Lionel Messi when he was in France.”
The Argentine scored 22 league goals across two seasons with Paris St Germain (56 appearances), after hauls of 30 and 25 goals respectively in his final two campaigns with Barcelona in La Liga. But France – and Saint Etienne – seem a great fit for Old. The club see him as a long-term project – signed to a five-year deal – and will take a patient approach to his development, to realise his potential. And while Ligue 1 is physical and fast, it’s still technical with more time on the ball than in England’s Championship or League One.
Old has also joined at an ideal time. Les Verts have a glorious history; only PSG have more league titles than their 10, collected between 1956 and 1981, a period where they also reached the European Cup final (against Bayern Munich in 1976).
But this is the beginning of a new chapter, with Kilmer Sports (who also own Toronto FC, Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors) determined to return the club to the top, with some big names appointed in key roles, including long-time Arsenal supremo Ivan Gazidis as club president.
There have been ups and downs over the past three decades – the club has been relegated three times since 1996, while also achieving eight top six placings in the first tier – but Saint Etienne remains a football-mad city. The spectacular 42,000-capacity Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is the fifth biggest stadium among French professional football teams and the team averaged 35,000 fans for the final seven home games of last season, despite being in Ligue 2.
From the early evidence, Old has already attracted significant support among the fan base. When the Herald visited the club shop, the management informed that Old’s replica No 11 shirt was among the top “two or three” best sellers ahead of this campaign. “He is an exciting player,” said one fan. “We are looking forward to seeing him play this season.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics’, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
