LEEDS LOVER LEBOEUF BLASTS SHEARER
In a revealing interview with France Football, the Marseille centre back spoke openly about his time in England with Chelsea.
"In four years, we won a lot of trophies with Chelsea, and I probably felt a bit nostalgic for France," he admitted.
"I want my children to discover France. My son speaks English more fluently than French.
"He needs to absorb the French culture.
"When l'OM contacted me, I never hesitated. I always wanted to play for this club.
"I left for 15 years, and I lived far away from my parents. My father has health problems, and I wanted to be close to him."
There were other reasons behind the World Cup winner's decision to leave London for the south of France.
"I must admit I was fed up going to the training ground every morning," he complained.
"With the planes that take off on the left, the motorway on the right, the coffee factory, the wind and the rain every day.
"It became a tiresome routine. I felt I was stagnating, so I decided to move.
"I had offers in England but it was out of the question to play somewhere other than Chelsea."
The 33-year-old is full of admiration for Leeds, a team he clashed against on several occasions, including once when he received a red card for allegedly stamping on Harry Kewell.
"The Marseille shirt is too heavy to carry," he protested. "We need to completely take the brakes off.
"That's what has allowed the English football to recover over the last few years.
"Look at the way the Leeds team is playing.
"There are young boys who try incredible things. They score crazy goals.
"In France, if a boy dares the same gestures, and kicks the ball away from the posts, he is booed and will never try again.
"In England, they will applaud him, so he dares more and, one day, he will find the top corner of the net, and will have self-confidence for the rest of his career.
"In Leeds, they played Champions League, they are at the top of The Premiership, yet I can assure you they are not better than l'OM players.
"They just don't respect anyone. We have to be inspired by that.
"According to me, Djibril Cisse is no less strong than Mark Viduka, and Nicolas Anelka is perhaps better than Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
"What you can't find in France is a 1.95 metre (almost 6ft 5ins) player or a forward such as Alan Shearer, who thinks at first to break your nose before trying to get the ball.
"Another difference is that, in France, the sweeper can control the ball without fearing an attack in his back by a forward.
"It's really the truth about English football."
