'Si en finale c'est Michael contre l'Angleterre, ce sera Michael': Michael Olise’s Hayes roots in West London | OneFootball

Hayes in west London shaped Michael Olise, and the town still claims him. At Dr Triplett’s Church of England Primary on Tuesday, headteacher Rachel Anderson unveiled a Bayern Munich shirt worn and signed by him and, according to L'Équipe, promised to bring him back if France win the World Cup.

She even watches France for him and said that, if a final pitted Michael against England, she would choose Michael. Anderson remembered a shy, football-obsessed pupil who avoided attention and struggled to refocus after playground defeats.

Former PE teacher Daniel Coker says he excelled at every sport he tried and once scored direct corners with both feet.

Olise’s father, Vincent, a former Nigeria cricketer, is now a deacon at Hayes Town Chapel and still runs summer football camps on the school pitches. His mother, Mina, Franco-Algerian, insisted on French at home, which influenced his international choice. Born in White City, he grew up in Hayes by Heathrow, where many still do not realise he is in the running for the Ballon d’Or.

After a brief spell at Hayes & Yeading United, he joined Chelsea at eight, also featuring for Arsenal and Chelsea at under-nines and commuting to Cobham after school. One local coach remembers a hat-trick after arriving at half-time to turn 0-2 into 3-2. After Chelsea let him go, mentor Sean Conlon set extra cognitive drills at Goals Hayes, and locals hope to see him soon, with Anderson readying French flags if 19 July brings a title.

Source: L'Équipe