If there was a lasting image of Florian Thauvin’s largely forgettable time in England, it was the then 22-year-old arriving for Newcastle United’s first two home games of the 2015/16 season dressed in a tuxedo. It was a choice that he did not make on his own, with Chancel Mbemba also following suit, but it was one that he would come under intense criticism for following his anonymous performances. 

Alan Shearer, at the time, would say, “He turns up in a tux. This is a serious business we’re in here. It was funny on the first day of the season. It’s not funny anymore.” First impressions are important and, unfortunately, tend to stick in the mind, and for the Frenchman, it suggested arrogance, petulance, and even a touch of naivety. It was an image that he would be unable to shake off in England. 

After only six months, Thauvin would return to Olympique de Marseille on loan for the remainder of the season. He would then spend the next season on loan before Marseille made the deal permanent in 2017. Back in France, he was a player transformed, becoming one of the best forwards in Ligue 1 and earning a spot in the 2018 World Cup-winning team. 

Lens roll out red carpet for World Cup winner

After leaving Marseille in 2021 for a spell in Mexico with Tigres UANL and then in Italy with Udinese, Thauvin returned to France in the summer, joining an RC Lens side ready to roll out the red carpet for him. Now 32 years old, the forward wisely didn’t bother with the tuxedo. Instead, he brought experience, leadership, and some much-needed panache to an attack that had been sorely lacking any sense of nous in the season before. 

Last season, Lens registered only 42 goals across 34 league games, leaving them with the 7th-worst attack in the league. Already, they’ve scored over half that number in less than half the games, having registered 26 goals in 15 matches. It’s hard not to see the influence that Thauvin, alongside fellow summer signing Odsonne Édouard, has had in transforming the attack and raising the club’s levels, with Lens sat top of the table for the second week running.

Thauvin’s brace in the 2-1 win over Angers SCO the weekend before last took Lens to the summit for the first time since 2004 as Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille stumbled. He was back on the scoresheet this weekend, opening the proceedings in the 2-1 win over FC Nantes with a flicked header past Anthony Lopes. This purple patch takes his season total to five goals, as well as two assists. 

Florian Thauvin back in blue

Thauvin’s form in Italy had been good, and he had options to remain in Serie A before choosing to join Lens, but his return to France has brought him back into the national spotlight and provided a late-career renaissance. In October, he was a surprise call-up to the national team as emergency cover for the injured Bradley Barcola, and then again in November, he replaced the injured Randal Kolo Muani. 

It still seems unlikely that Thauvin will be back in the France squad for the World Cup this summer. However, it also seemed unlikely that Lens would be top of the table in December when the season began. The best thing the former World Cup winner can do is to keep performing at this level, and if he does, he will certainly give Didier Deschamps something to consider. 

Takeaways

• Next weekend will be the last game of the year in Ligue 1 before the teams go on their winter break. For Lens, that means they will be hosting OGC Nice at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Nice are in terrible form having lost seven consecutive games across all competitions. Their latest coming against Angers. Read the full match report HERE.

• After drawing with Toulouse FC and losing out on a chance to take top spot, Olympique de Marseille once again stumbled as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Lille OSC. Les Phocéens put in a completely unconvincing attacking performance as they fell short in the north, allowing Lille to draw level on points with them. Read what happened HERE.

• Luís Castro’s position as Nantes manager remains in jeopardy following the defeat to Lens. The former USL Dunkerque head coach has seen his side go on a winless run in the past six games. Reports have emerged that the club are beginning to scour the market for a replacement. Read the full situation HERE.