Adrien Thomasson is the motor in the midfield of a high-flying Lens side. The underrated Ligue 1 stalwart is ageing like a fine wine and, at the time of writing, has made the second most key passes in Ligue 1 and the ninth most in Europe’s top five leagues. Incisive on the ball, he is dogged off it, and he ranks third in France’s top-flight for dribblers tackled; his figures also rank him among the elite in Europe’s top five leagues.

We sat down with Lens’ captain back in September in an exclusive interview to talk about the club’s surprise success, his repositioning, and his ambitions going forward.

On Lens’ surprise success

For me, it has been a pretty positive [start to the season] because with all of the changes that we have had, be it the manager, the staff, the players, too, I thought that the start of the season would be difficult. But, on the whole, be it in terms of the results or the quality of our play, it’s really not bad! But there are definitely regrets from the match at home against Lyon. I think that we deserved at least a draw. We played PSG at the Parc des Princes, and they remain the best team in the league. Even if our performance was encouraging, there is nothing shameful in losing against PSG, especially away from home. We have a big run of games ahead of us, and I hope that we can continue on our march forward. 

We were questioning ourselves because we lost important players from our team, be it young players or experienced players. Naturally, we want to be competitive, we want to be ambitious, so we asked ourselves how it would look this season, and whether the players who replaced those who left would be at the same level. And in this sense, the club worked well because we have a competitive team, which, for me, is better than last year.

We are more balanced, I think. We really have profiles of players that we didn’t necessarily have last season, especially in attack. For me, we are a more complete team, but we have to show it on the pitch.

Through the changes in the sporting management, too, you feel that there is fresh momentum and a positive energy emitted by important people. Even if they haven’t asked us to absolutely finish in the top six or the top seven, or anything like that, you feel the ambition throughout the club.

On his evolving role

I have a bit more experience. I am closer to the end of my career than the start. I try to transmit my experience to the younger players. I bring my calmness, too, because I am quite a calm person. I have also found a position on the pitch that perfectly suits me, too. I really enjoy playing a bit deeper, making the link between the attack and the defence. So that is something that really suits my qualities, and wearing the captain’s armband gives me more responsibility, too.

[Regarding the captaincy,] I have never been the player who shouts a lot in the dressing room, because it isn’t really in my personality. But I try to lead by example on the pitch, in training, and through my attitude, too. I try to always be positive because the younger players generally look at how the older players behave, so I am not someone who will take the floor in the dressing room, but I will try to set the example differently.

[Playing deeper in midfield] allows me to get on the ball more, to construct the game, but also to be able to go forward, to get into the box, but to come from further back. This quality of being more box-to-box corresponds with my physical capabilities, being able to repeat high-intensity runs, so I think it is a position that really suits me, and the most important thing is that I enjoy it more, even defensively, winning the ball back; it is something that I enjoy.

On his ambitions

Personally, I have the ambition [to play in Europe again]. It is something that motivates me. That is why I get up in the morning, it is to be ambitious and to go after a European qualification. But I am also aware of the economic situation that we are in. I know that there are also some very strong teams in the league, so I take that into account, but you always have to be ambitious in your career, in life more generally, so I hope we will finish as high as possible. 

We feel that every match is difficult […] it is very tight so that is why it will be good to go on good runs. As the manager said, not to lose twice in a row is something that is very important.

My expiring contract? The ambition that interests me is enjoying myself on a daily basis, and I am. I’m not looking too far forward to what will happen in the season. The most important thing is to play, to enjoy myself, and then we will see. At some point, there will be talks with the club, but I’m not getting worked up. I trust in life, in the future, so there is no worry about that. 

A first move abroad? It is always something that has tempted me to play abroad. But I don’t want to go abroad, just to go abroad because I already go there on holiday (laughs)! We will see what opportunities there are or are not. I have always wanted to, but I can’t rule out playing my whole career in France, in Ligue 1 more specifically. I am open to everything, and I’m not closing any doors, so we’ll see. Wait and see.