As reported by La Voix du Nord, Lille manager Jocelyn Gourvennec discussed his unsuccessful trials as a player with English clubs ahead of LOSC’s tie with Chelsea in the Champions League. Of a 2001 trial at Leicester City, the French coach recalled:
“All week, I was called ‘the French guy’. On Thursday, my agent told me it was going okay. I was very happy because the week went well. The next day, Dave Bassett, the manager, told me that we’d have to wait for a bit. I started to understand. In these cases, the player is the last to know.”
In 2002, Gourvennec was similarly unfortunate at West Ham on trial:
“That was a step up because the team was doing well with Sébastien Schemmel, Frédéric Kanouté and Titi Camara. The club were looking for a new signing because Michael Carrick had injured his knee. It didn’t happen because they were looking for more of a defensive profile. I enjoyed the quality of the training sessions, though, and the mentality.”