Inter Milan’s Benjamin Pavard opens door to Lille return | OneFootball

Benjamin Pavard (28) has opened the door on an eventual return to his formative club Lille OSC during an interview on Téléfoot with his former France teammate Adil Rami.

The Inter Milan defender took his first steps in the professional game at Lille, a club that spotted his talent as a child and developed him in their famed academy system. Since leaving the north of France, Pavard’s journey has seen him win league titles in Germany and Italy, and in 2018 he became a World Cup winner with the French national team.

Despite all these accolades, his latest coming this season as he helped Inter return to the top of the Serie A table, Pavard has admitted that he still has some regrets over leaving his boyhood club. As Pavard explains, “I have a bit of a bitter taste because obviously it’s my favourite club. I had been there since I was little. I spent 10 years there and it’s a city that is special to me.”

Benjamin Pavard hopes to one day captain Lille

Pavard would welcome a return near the end of his career, but at 28 it’s not something he is actively thinking about. The defender is only a year into a five-year contract with Inter, so a return to his home will likely have to wait a while. “What’s certain is if I do go back there, it would not be as an early retirement. It’s my favourite club and I would like to become their captain.”

GFFN | Nick Hartland