Trained at Paris Saint-Germain, Junior Dina-Ebimbe, now a 25-year-old midfielder for Eintracht Frankfurt, was given his first start by Mauricio Pochettino in 2019. Alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappé, he enjoyed a dream start to his career. Speaking to Foot Mercato, the Parisian native named the player who impressed him most during that time.
Dina-Ebimbe: “I think you develop more in training than you do at some clubs when you’re playing.”
“Who was the most impressive in training? They all were, but what struck me was in rondo drills. It’s like they were a second and a half ahead of you; everything is done twice as fast as you, they see faster than you, they shoot faster, they run faster, but there’s nothing better for a young player to develop in.”
I think you develop more in training than you would at some clubs while playing. For example, I spent a season at Le Havre, and I honestly developed much more in training with PSG. And by being with them, you pick up their rhythm, you start to get the hang of it.
Being around the best players in the world definitely helps with development, especially when you’re coming from a youth academy. Dina-Ebimbe was able to train alongside world stars, listen to their advice, and above all, watch them play.
It’s clear that this helps any player take the next step. Now at Frankfurt, there’s no doubt that what he learned during his time at PSG is still useful to him. Even if being in the middle of the rondo during that period couldn’t have been easy for a young Parisian.
