Age is often a determining factor when assessing a player’s worth. Many think young players with raw ability should explode into Ballon d’Or contenders any day, while the potential of players in the second half of their twenties is readily written off. This is, usually, naive. And Lille midfielder Benjamin André is proof.
Potential is a speculative concept, it generates hype and, often wildly, inflates value. Evidence of such an implied worth is, by its very nature, thin. Although the potential of players under 23 is feverishly discussed, it’s dismissed when assessing anyone over 25. In an age when most clubs invest heavily in analytics and ways in which to maximize their resources, it’s a surprise the usefulness of “older” players hasn’t been exploited more.
The resale value of younger players is of course a major factor but genuine on-field success breeds praise, interest and income regardless of a side’s age profile. Chelsea’s recent, and so far failed, attempts to build more of a stock portfolio than a football team shows some sort of balance is needed as does the late blossoming of club great Frank Lampard. Lampard didn’t make his Chelsea debut until the age of 23, having developed in a more conducive environment at West Ham.
André – a Ligue 1 & Coupe de France-winning captain
Recent Ligue 1 history is full of players who have developed in a similarly considered manner only to be undervalued once into their mid-to-late-twenties. Former Nice and Montpellier striker Andy Delort’s early career meandered through Wigan and Tours before a breakthrough season with Caen as he turned 24. Montpellier talisman Teji Savanier only made his Ligue 1 debut at 26 but quickly became one of the league’s premier performers. Rennes forward Martin Terrier didn’t truly find form until his 21-goal campaign in 2021/22 at 24.
These players, and many more besides, saw comparatively little interest in the early years but have become hugely effective Ligue 1 players who could have, Terrier still might, moved onwards and upwards. This is André’s eighth consecutive appearance in the GFFN 100, the first of those came in 2016 at the age of 26 and has since captained Coupe de France and Ligue 1 winning teams.
Born in Nice, André eventually emerged from Corsican club Ajaccio’s youth system before six seasons as a senior at Stade François Coty, playing the final three in Ligue 1. A stalwart throughout, aside from a patchy 12/13 campaign as part of a strong midfield group, André impressed despite Ajaccio finishing bottom in 2014. Capable of playing on the right of midfield at the time, his nine goals and assists that season remains the best of his career and piqued Rennes’ interest, resulting in a free transfer that summer as André turned 24.
SFRC, who initially considered the player for a full-back role, were largely an underachieving mid-table club during André’s five years in Brittany, finishing 9th, 8th, 9th, 5th and 10th but André, having ironed out some wrinkles in his game, eventually became a quietly influential leader thanks to his astute use of the ball, unerring consistency and defensive acumen. André remains a wholly unspectacular but fiercely effective performer.