Benjamin André

Benjamin Michel Édouard André (born 3 August 1990) is a French professional footballer who plays for Ligue 1 club Lille. He plays as a defensive midfielder, but also operates in the hole just behind the lead striker.

Benjamin André
André with Rennes in 2017
Personal information
Full name Benjamin Michel Édouard André[1]
Date of birth (1990-08-03) 3 August 1990
Place of birth Nice, France
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
Lille
Number 21
Youth career
1996–2006 Stade Raphaëlois
2006–2008 Ajaccio
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2014 Ajaccio 187 (12)
2014–2019 Rennes 154 (7)
2019– Lille 86 (4)
National team
2010–2011 France U21 7 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:00, 27 March 2022 (UTC)

Club career

Ajaccio

André was with the Corsica-based club Ajaccio since he was 16 years old, joining the club as an academy player after arriving from his hometown of Nice in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. After gaining notice playing on the club's under-18 side, he was promoted to the senior squad for the 2008–09 season, despite being only 17 years old at the time of the promotion. André appeared sparingly early on in the season making his debut on 22 August 2008 against Sedan appearing as a substitute in a 1–1 draw.[3] He earned his first start in a Coupe de France match on 22 November 2008 against amateur side Bagnols Pont playing 120 minutes. The match went into a penalty shootout with the young André converting Ajaccio's final shootout goal ensuring the club's advancement to the next round.[4]

Five days later, he made his first league start in a 2–0 defeat to Boulogne.[5] Throughout the season, his starts increased and, despite Ajaccio's inconsistent play, became an instant revelation[6] helping the club reach the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France. He scored his first career goal of the season on the final match day of the season against Châteauroux in a 2–1 loss.[7] His best season with Ajaccio was the 2013–14 Ligue 1 season. Although Ajaccio were relegated, he provided four goals and five assists across all competitions.[8]

Rennes

In the summer transfer market of 2014, André signed with Rennes after six years at Ajaccio.[9] On 25 January 2015, he scored his first goal for Stade Rennais in a 4–1 loss against Caen.[10]

Lille

On 17 July 2019, André signed a four-year deal with Lille.[11]

André was an important player for Lille, becoming a consistent performer and their midfield linchpin, as they won their first league title in a decade, and fourth overall, during the 2020–21 season.[12]

Personal life

André was born in France to a Senegalese mother and a French father.[13]

Honours

Rennes

Lille

Individual

References

  1. "FABAFO". BFM Verif (in French). NextInteractive. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
    "Benjamin Andre". BFM Business (in French). NextInteractive. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  2. "Andre". Stade Rennais F.C. (in French). Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  3. "Sedan v. Ajaccio Match Report".
  4. "Bagnols v. Ajaccion Match Report".
  5. "Ajaccio v. Boulogne Match Report".
  6. "EspoirsduFootball.com".
  7. "Châteauroux v. Ajaccio Match Report".
  8. "Player Profile: Benjamin André". www.lfp.fr. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  9. "B. André rejoint Rennes (in French)". L'Équipe. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  10. "Stade Rennais FC - SM Caen (1-4) - Saison 2014/2015 - Ligue 1 Conforama". www.lfp.fr.
  11. "Benjamin André a Signé". Lille OSC. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  12. "Lille hold their nerve to clinch their first Ligue 1 title for a decade". The Guardian. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  13. "De Saint-Raphaël à Rennes : Itinéraire de Benjamin André, le maître à jouer du Stade Rennais". France Football.
  14. "Lille beat PSG to clinch first French Super Cup". Sky Sports. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  15. "Trophées UNFP : cinq Parisiens, deux Lillois et deux Lyonnais dans l'équipe type" [Trophées UNFP : five Parisiens, two Lillois and two Lyonnais in the typical team]. Le Figaro (in French). 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
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