#3 He was told to learn from two unlikely sources
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Marcelo Bielsa had a great influence on Mendy’s career, as the Argentine has done on so many who have gone through his tutorage, most notably Dimitri Payet.
When the former Athletic Bilbao boss took charge of Marseille, he found Mendy a young player who did not always have his thoughts on the game and told him to look to Jeremy Morel and Rod Fanni for inspiration. Both were mocked in France for their limited abilities, but the youngster took the coach’s words to heart and has reaped the benefits since.
“I’ve seen people joke about it,” he told Onze. “But Bielsa was serious. These are two experienced players and have played for several clubs. Away from the field they’re professionals but before I was not.
“During training, young players often say: ‘No, I already know how to do it, so I won’t do it thoroughly.’
“But that’s not the right attitude. Always give everything. And by doing the maximum, you get to go higher.”
