Colin Dagba: 'Give everything'

Colin, tell us about your childhood…
"I first started playing football at the age of six in a club in Lillers, then in the next town, Isbergues. I was picked up by RC Lens in 2010. At the time, I was more a midfielder, either a number ten or out wide. I wasn't thinking about becoming a professional at that time. I thought more of enjoying myself. I progressed little by little and ended up realising that my passion could become my job."

Three years after your arrival, Lens decided they wouldn't be keeping you…
"It's tough at that age. Of course I was disappointed. I thought I had let my parents down. I was very sad for them. They had done a lot of going back and forth, had put in a lot of energy, spent a lot of money...I now try to make them happy to thank them for everything they have done for me. Those difficult times taught me a lot. They made me question myself. I was comfortable at Lens. It made me understand that I had to work hard to achieve my goal. I thought I'd stay at Lens, but they didn't keep me because they were scrapping a team. I learned that late in the season, so it was difficult to find a professional club to join. So, I went to the youth academy at Liévin and one of my teammates was playing at US Boulogne, and they recruited me."

So you changed club and also changed position…
"During training sessions and matches, it was often the case that there were not enough defenders. So I dropped back down the pitch on a number of occasions and I liked that a lot. When I got to Boulogne, I stayed in defence. I played in the U16 team at first and soon started training with the U17, playing regional matches in that age category in the first half of the season before moving to national level. I had a full season with them and then moved to the reserve team. I was playing against players older than me, so that hardened me up and made me adapt my game. I was training with the first team, who were playing in the third division, and several professional clubs started approaching me. It's then that I said to myself that things were getting serious. I said to myself that I had to keep working hard."

You ended up joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2016. What were you thinking at the time?
"When you sign for Paris Saint-Germain, you say to yourself, 'It's football or nothing!'. I gave 100%. I always had to be focussed. There was a lot of intensity in training, and a lot of quality. In 2018, Thomas Tuchel gave me a chance by calling me up for the summer tour as there were so many players missing after they'd played at the World Cup. He put his faith in me. I always try to apply his instructions. He asks me to be aggressive and be available, to run in behind the defenders a lot, and to show discipline and concentration. At the end of last season, several players were either injured or suspended, so the coach blooded some youngsters. When he picked me, I tried to do my best for the team, whether I'm in the starting XI or on the bench. My ambitions for this season? To play as much as possible and when the coach calls on me, give everything for the team."