‘Maybe the most intelligent player in my team’ – Paulo Fonseca praises Lille midfielder Angel Gomes | OneFootball

Lille OSC manager Paulo Fonseca has waxed lyrical about midfielder Angel Gomes (23), whom he describes as “maybe the most intelligent player in [his] team.”

Fonseca clearly trusts former Manchester United player Gomes. The Englishman has been utilised both as a No.10 and as a No.8 this season. He has made 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring twice and registering eight assists and has been touted as one of the brightest prospects in a Lille team that is brimming with individual quality.

‘Gomes can make a big step in his career’ – Fonseca

The England U21 international has made a hasty recovery from a hamstring injury suffered at the end of March and he has therefore made the trip to Birmingham to face Aston Villa in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final. Whilst Gomes is not expected to start, Fonseca will be hoping that he can play a part at Villa Park.

Speaking ahead of the game in an interview with the BBC, Fonseca has heaped praise on Gomes. “Angel is maybe the most intelligent player I have in my team. He understands faster than the others everything about the game; he loves the game. He loves to learn and he is a player with big skills, big technique,” said Fonseca.

The Portuguese manager added, “He is a player who under pressure it is not easy to steal the ball off him and who discovers the space so easily. He is young, he has a big talent. I believe with the right coach, with the right project, with the right game for him, he can have the possibility to have a big step in his career.”

GFFN | Luke Entwistle