As Lille prepare to face Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday evening, striker Jonathan David has notably spoken to the club website about his relationship with fellow striker Burak Yılmaz and how the veteran helps him improve.
The Canadian is now one of the hottest prospects in European football, having helped his team to the Ligue 1 title last year and being on the verge of taking his national team to the next World Cup.
“He’s always given me bits of advice to improve my play, for example to not rush things with the final product. He keeps telling me that in the penalty area, we have more time than we think. It’s not because you hear or feel defenders nearby that you should hurry up and shoot first time. Sometimes, you can take the time to control it and even look up before placing your shot. For that, you need to be very relaxed, to stay calm in your head.”
“He’s also taught me that when I peel away [from defenders] I shouldn’t be afraid to look back, because that can make the difference and allow me to go between the lines rather than staying with my back to goal. It’s all these little details that I didn’t have in my game and that I’ve been able to work on thanks to his advice.”