Doué opens up on Liverpool, criticism and the France squad | OneFootball

Désiré Doué, 20, a forward for Paris Saint-Germain, delivered a thoughtful and composed message ahead of the clash with Liverpool. Speaking to Téléfoot, the French international stressed a clear goal: reach the semi-finals, accept criticism, and keep moving forward through hard work despite a season disrupted by injuries.

Doué: “It’s been a bit of an up-and-down season this year because of injuries”

Is facing Liverpool in the Champions League a great memory for you?

It was magnificent. Now we know everything will be different, and our goal is to reach the semi-finals.

It’s been a bit of an up-and-down season this year because of injuries. I got injured twice this season, and that had never happened to me before. Today I’m very, very happy to be able to play again. I feel great and I’m at 100%.

The criticism?

It’s part of football, even more so when you play for Paris Saint-Germain. In France, we know that as soon as your performances drop a little, there’s a lot of criticism. I always keep that joy for life every day, and that’s important — we do the most beautiful job in the world.

Doué: “The feeling of hearing the anthem at the start of every match and being with teammates you’re not used to seeing”

What do you enjoy most about the France team?

It’s the feeling of hearing the anthem at the start of every match and being with teammates you’re not used to being around every day. It’s also enriching when you’re still quite young. You learn from everyone’s experience. It’s really something I enjoy, and it’s always a joy to come here.

Your first goals for France? There’s almost a World Cup feeling in the air? Is that your dream?

Of course, this year it’s a huge, huge dream, but it’s also been one since I was very little. The World Cup makes you dream. Playing in a World Cup wearing the France shirt would be wonderful. I work every day for that. I hope to be there, and I’m going to work toward that.

Doué: “He’s a legend”

You belong more to the generation of the second star than the first?

Yes, of course, the second one — I followed everything. But I also watched videos of the first one to see a bit of what had happened. I also wanted to hear everything people were saying about that World Cup. But the objective will be to bring home the third one.

Didier Deschamps?

He’s a legend. He had a great career as a player, and as a coach he has won almost everything with the France team. He’s a coach who has given me a lot right from the start. In every situation, he stays calm, and he always finds the words to really bring the team back together when things are not going so well. He also knows how to encourage us and tell us when things are going well.

Doué: “Questioning myself is not just about the criticism I read”

Criticism? Work? The Golden Boy trophy.

I know I’m talented, but I’m also very ambitious. Questioning myself is not just about the criticism I read or hear — it’s something I demand of myself every day, and so does my entourage. It doesn’t disturb me at all. Honestly, some criticism helps you move forward too; not everything should be thrown away. Some criticism is very useful to take on board. You can use it to question yourself.

Liverpool on Wednesday?

We know what we’re capable of, and that even in the most difficult situations we can turn a match around. We’re confident, we really want it, we know we can do it, and we want to win this Champions League once again. We’re hungry, we’re hungry. We want to go and write history once again.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.