Friday 28 August 2015 14:29, UK
Leeds captain Sol Bamba is already a big fan-favourite at Elland Road. Adam Bate caught up with him to discuss his early years at Paris Saint-Germain, moving to Britain in search of success and his leadership role within the dressing room…
Former Leeds boss Neil Redfearn called him a 'fatherly figure' to his young team-mates at Elland Road. At 30, Bamba isn't quite sure about that, but the centre-back has made quite the impression on and off the field since joining the club, initially on loan, in January.
Asked about that leadership role, he tells Sky Sports: "I've got no choice because I'm one of the oldest in the dressing room! I've done it throughout my career anyway. When you're playing at the back you have to lead because you can see everything.
"It's a young squad and some of the players need that. They need that shoulder to lean on because I've been there before. With the young lads, if they want something from the manager they come to me. It's part of my job. I'm here to help.
"We've got a few Italians in the squad too and it's obviously easier for them to speak Italian. My language skills aren't too bad so I can help them on the pitch or if the gaffer need me to translate. It helps if I can bring the dressing room together. But I'm not that old!"
He is, however, experienced. A graduate of Paris Saint-Germain's youth system, he talks with enthusiasm about that challenge of testing himself against top-class players as well as learning from Colombian centre-back Mario Yepes. But opportunities were limited.
"I trained with the first team for three years, only playing a handful of games. I was very young and learning my trade. It was a good experience training with players like Ronaldinho and Jay-Jay Okocha. But obviously, it's a very different club now."
He remains a PSG supporter – "it's where I was born and where I'm from" – which only makes his decision to leave the club in 2006 all the more admirable. At the age of 21, he sought out a club in Scotland and embarked upon a new adventure with Dunfermline Athletic.
"I needed some first-team football," explains Bamba. "I could have stayed at Paris Saint-Germain and signed a five-year contract but I wanted to go on loan and they didn't want me to go out. I decided to turn it down and went to Scotland.
"It was good because I learnt the language and learnt how to play the British way. The way I've done it, if I could change anything I wouldn't, because I've learnt slowly, slowly. It's got me where I am now and I'm very happy."
It's certainly been a circuitous route. After impressing with Hibernian and Leicester, Bamba had spells in Turkey with Trabzonspor before getting a taste of Serie A with Palermo. But he's glad to be back in England with Leeds. Not least because of his partner.
"My missus is English and she was desperate to come back at some point. That's what we managed to do, so now she's happy and I'm very happy. I always missed the British football as I enjoyed my time at Leicester and in Scotland so it was always a target to come back.
"I played against some very good players and some very good teams in Turkey and in Italy as well. There has been the international games with the World Cup too so I feel I am a better player now. You're always improving but I've returned to England with better qualities."
Leeds are now feeling the benefit of that experience. Bamba ranked among the top 10 players in the Championship last season for both tackles and interceptions. In the current campaign, no player in the top two divisions has made more clearances.
It hints at the sort of dominant defensive performances that Leeds fans have come to enjoy. "I didn't know these stats," he admits. "But it's always good to hear. That's what I try to do everywhere I go. If you give everything the fans respond to that."
Those supporters have had to endure a lengthy period of upheaval at the club and Bamba doesn't shy away from those problems. But he does appear convinced that Leeds now find themselves on a better path.
"It's a massive club but the way it was run the last couple of years wasn't great at all. So now the club has made a few changes with the manager but also with the board, bringing in Adam Pearson, for example. It's a different club now."
Indeed, Bamba has already seen a change of manager with Uwe Rosler replacing Redfearn in the summer, but he's impressed with the new man. "What's very good about him and what we were missing last year, when you talk to people around the club, is discipline.
"He's brought discipline and organisation. It's also always better when the manager has been a player because he knows what he's talking about and he played at the top level as well. He can understand more easily and we can respond better to that."
He's brought discipline and organisation.
So are Leeds targeting promotion? "I'm not going to say we're going to win the league," says Bamba. "I think it's a bit too early to say that. We have to be realistic. We want to improve on last season and see where that takes us.
"But the league is tight and if you look at last season, I don't think anyone would've said Bournemouth would get promoted but they got in the mix and that's what we want to do. Deep down everyone wants Leeds to be in the Premier League.
"No disrespect to the other clubs I've played for, but in terms of history, fan base and the infrastructure of the stadium and training ground, it's right up there. It's a big club but it's been asleep for some reason. If we do well it'll be massive for everyone involved."
In truth, it's been a quiet start with four consecutive draws leaving Leeds in mid-table. "We need to start to win games as soon as possible, obviously. We haven't got a win yet but we are unbeaten so we're happy with that.
"Everyone knows it's a tough league. It's not about playing well, it's about winning when you don't play well. That's what gets you out of this division. With games every three days, you need to be fit. For me, it's more difficult than the Premier League because of that."
Regardless of how the season goes for Leeds, you sense they'll be better off as long as Bamba is around. And the good news is that he's looking for a lengthy stay in Yorkshire.
"I've signed a three-year contract and I want to see that out," he adds. "If I manage to do that and they want me to stay that would be great because I'm happy here and my family are settled. I see myself here for a long time."
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