Odsonne Edouard has hit back at those who doubted him, expressing his frustration after some dismissed him as a “gamble” last summer.
He was linked with a return to Celtic, where he previously scored 87 goals and secured nine trophies over four years. However, his time in the English Premier League led to doubts among some fans.
Edouard’s Difficult Spell in England
Following a £15 million move to Crystal Palace, Edouard scored six, five, and seven league goals over three seasons and lost favour with the club. He then had an uninspiring loan spell at Leicester City.
Last summer, Palace looked to offload him at a reduced price, and Celtic and Brendan Rodgers were mentioned as potential buyers. Ultimately, fans weren’t convinced it would be a good move.
Finding Form at Lens
Edouard eventually signed for Ligue 1 side Lens for a bargain £3.2 million and has since found form, scoring 12 goals as his team challenge for the title.
Reflecting on the summer transfer saga and his recent successes, he took a swipe at those who doubted his capabilities. Edouard said: “When you see people saying or writing, ‘The Odsonne Édouard bet – it’s a gamble’ – I’d like to bet on someone who’s played in the Champions League, the Europa League, who’s scored goals in the Premier League, and pretty much everywhere he’s played.
“I’d like to bet on a 27-year-old player who’s scored over 100 career goals.
“I’ve been, in a manner of speaking, underestimated.”
Invisible to People
He also opened up about his difficult spell in England. He said: “I wasn’t playing at all for a while, I wasn’t even making the squads anymore, I was invisible to people.
“I was training two to three times a day.
“I was waiting for this moment and as soon as I had the opportunity to play again, I had to show everyone that I was here, that I was still capable of scoring goals.”
Touching on the secret to his turnaround in France, he said: “The key was to get back to peak physical condition quite quickly.
“I knew that was going to be the biggest challenge.
“In terms of my footballing abilities, I had no doubt.
“I knew it would work, that I would score goals.”