EXCLUSIVE | Nantes’ Mayckel Ladho: ‘Graham Potter is a great appointment for Sweden’ | OneFootball

Nantes loanee and Swedish U21 international Mayckel Ladho (22) arrived in Ligue 1 in the summer on loan from AZ Alkmaar. The 22-year-old has offered a dynamic and attacking threat to Luis Castro’s young Les Canaris squad. 

Born in Sweden, the attacker has experienced three different European leagues in his career thus far and is now embarking on a new spell in Northern France. The French outfit has a track record of producing and signing young talents, and Ladho is hoping to be the next to benefit. 

In an interview with Get French Football News, facilitated by the LFP Media’s international department, the Hammarby youth product sat down to discuss how he has had to adapt to life in France, his ambitions to represent his country at the senior level, and his thoughts on the appointment of Sweden’s new manager, Graham Potter. 

As a new arrival in Ligue 1, how have you found the transition from the Netherlands to France? 

It’s a really different league. Here (Ligue 1) is much more physical, and when it comes to the physicality, it’s much more of a challenge here. You have to be strong and fast. The Dutch league has a technical focus as a league. Compared to France, I think the physicality is the biggest challenge.

Do you believe the increased physicality is something that complements your game, or have you had to adapt?

Yes, I think it suits me, but of course, I have had to adapt. I think it suits me because I’m fast and strong. It’s something that I am managing. Ligue 1 is a good league for me, but of course, this physicality is different to what I am used to.

You’ve recently recovered from a shoulder injury. How was the rehabilitation, and how good did it feel to be back on the pitch?

It felt very good. It’s obviously not nice to be injured. It has been tough, but the rehabilitation went well with no problems. I feel strong and ready to play again, so it’s good. I’m glad to be back.

Nantes have a reputation for producing young talents. How has that mentality and focus helped you in your brief time at the club? 

They care a lot about the development of young players and they really take care of all players. I think it’s good. There are many young and hungry players within the team. I think that just builds up a culture and makes it even better for the club. 

You managed to get on the scoresheet quickly, with a goal against Toulouse. How did it feel to get off the mark for your new club? 

Yeah, it was a brilliant feeling, really nice. As a forward, you always want to score and provide for the team. To get the first goal is always a nice feeling. It’s good to get the first one and then to keep going. Unfortunately, I got injured after that in the game against Brest. But now, I’m back again, and I hope to be on the scoresheet again. 

Have you or the club set you any targets whilst on loan at Nantes? 

No, I really just take it game by game. Yeah, I try every game. I want to score and assist every game, and I want to help the team every game. That’s my target. 

As a Sweden U21 international, do you have ambitions to soon represent your country at a senior level with a new head coach in Graham Potter? 

Of course, I have the ambition to be in the first team of the national team. I want to be there, and of course, I will work hard to get there. Now with Graham Potter in charge, it’s a high-profile coach who has managed big teams at the highest level. So for Sweden, I think it’s really good to have a big coach. 

Have you had any discussions with Graham Potter since he was appointed Sweden boss? 

No, not really. 

When you realised you had the opportunity to come to Nantes, what did Luis Castro say to you, and how did you feel about the prospect of playing in Ligue 1? 

When I arrived in Nantes, I spoke with the coach a lot. He presented to me what he thought about me and how I fit in as a player. For me, this made me really happy because for me, the most important thing is to have a coach who believes in you. That’s why I thought that Nantes would be a good move for me. When you have a coach who likes you, you have a good opportunity to play, but I also have to prove myself and put in good performances. 

If you were to describe yourself as a player, how would you describe yourself to those who haven’t seen you play? 

I would say that I am a fast, explosive player who has good one-on-one abilities when facing up against defenders. I would say that I am good at creating dangerous opportunities. That’s what I would like to do. 

Is there one moment or piece of advice during your time at Hammarby or AZ that you believe helped you get to where you are now? 

Yeah, I don’t really think there is a specific one, but developing my mentality has been a game-changer for me. I have really worked on that in recent years. I think that it has helped me a lot. To be clear in the mind and to always have a good mindset every day helps a lot. Of course, on the pitch having that mindset will help a lot. It was a challenge for me before. I wasn’t really good with that, but it is something that has developed. 

GFFN | Liam Wraith