Giovani Lo Celso: 'Happy with my progress'
The young Argentine midfielder, who scored his first goals for Paris this season, took a look back at his first full season with the Rouge et Bleus.
Giovani, after your arrival in January 2017 and a settling-in period, you gradually carved out a place for yourself in the Paris Saint-Germain midfield…
"It wasn't easy in the beginning; when I played my first games in Europe I had to adapt. I worked hard and learned from my teammates, who are world-class players. They helped me a lot and made me feel at home. Then I had a chance to show my quality. Now I'm playing regularly and taking the opportunity to give my all. When I look back, I'm happy with my progress."
How did it go adapting to a new position, which is a bit more deep-lying than you were accustomed to playing?
"In Argentina, I played as a classic number ten. In Europe, this position practically doesn't exist any more and so I had to adapt to a new role. Little by little I developed my playing style and became able to play as a defensive midfielder. I'm happy to play no matter the position; I just try to help my team. Now I've started adding a bit of an attacking edge to my game and I'm very happy."
In February, you scored your first Ligue 1 goal, against Lille (3-0). How did that feel?
"Obviously I felt an intense joy, because it was my first goal. I could have passed the ball to Neymar on my left, but the defender pressed up on me and I saw that the 'keeper was off his line… So I tried my luck! Thankfully the ball went in and left Lille with a great win under our belts. For a first goal, I think it wasn't bad at all."
You then scored a double against Monaco at the Parc des Princes (7-1)…
"It's extremely satisfying to score a double in a decisive match against a big rival like Monaco. What's more, it was the match that saw us clinch the French title - another reason to be happy abut having helped the team."