Whether it’s taking on Angel Di Maria at PSG or facing the very Scottish challenge of facing Rangers or Celtic away, Ziyad Larkeche insists he feels no fear.
The Dundee loanee is bedding himself into life at Dens Park and grabbed his first goal for the club last time out against St Mirren.
In less than a fortnight, Larkeche will have the opportunity to show his unfazed attitude at Ibrox in a League Cup quarter-final against the Gers to follow this weekend’s trip to Ross County.
It’s been an unorthodox journey to Dundee taking in the youth setup at PSG and training with Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani before his age group team was “deleted” by the Parisian outfit.
That saw a teenage Larkeche move country in the middle of a pandemic before switching London clubs and then finding his way north of the border.
‘They deleted the team’
Larkeche is a PSG supporter and a big fan of the side led by Zlatan Ibrahimovic around a decade ago that also included Thiago Motta, who would become his youth coach.
“It came at a crazy time with Covid,” Larkeche said in explaining his PSG exit in 2020.
“I played almost every game and we arrived at a time when they deleted the second team.
“So I’d already done two years with the U/19s because I was playing one year above.
“The reality then became it was U/19s directly to the first team so everyone left.
“So many players, almost like the majority, my friends were there and now nobody’s there anymore. I don’t really know why they deleted the team.
“Covid stopped the season. Everyone was trying to find a club and Fulham came really early.”
‘Nothing was open’
But that meant moving from Paris to London as a teenager in the middle of a global pandemic.
“It was difficult because even to go back home, that was difficult,” he added.
“You needed the test to do everything. I was in London, but nothing was really open.
“So I was just staying in the digs. It was a bit weird.
“I’m someone who’s a really family person.
“So to move when you’re 18, even if for some people maybe it’s old, but for me it was tough.
“But I had good digs and the family, they were good people.
“After that was OK but at the beginning it was quite challenging.”
Di Maria and Cavani
In Paris, Larkeche played alongside Xavi Simons, a star at the Euros for Netherlands.
But would also rub shoulders with some of the first-team stars.
“Yes, a few times, one or two times. I remember it was Di Maria at the time and Edison Cavani and all of them.
“But it was usually quite separate. But one or two times, I remember.”
And what does that bring out in the French defender?
“I’m more determined to make a mark. I’m not nervous,” he added.
“It’s like training, you try to do your best and then you’re all humans – two hands, two legs.
“I respect, of course, the careers of big players and you’re not going to come and do crazy challenges to break their legs.
“You respect but afterwards you try to do your best. In every club I’ve been, I’ve always been like that.
“Of course, they’re good players and you need to respect them.
“But sometimes too much respect in football is not good.
“You also need to also believe in the team and believe in yourself and go 100%.”
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