At just 20 years of age, defensive midfielder Jean II Makoun made a big impact with Lille in 2003/04, playing all but a handful of his side’s Ligue 1 clashes and even grabbing headlines with his goal against eventual champions Lyon.

Nicknamed ‘the cleaner’ for his tireless mopping up at the back of the midfield, Makoun’s arrival in France was in itself a huge a display of unflagging determination from both player and club.

Picked up by an agent after the 1999 Under-17 African Nations Cup, the teenager - who grew up playing alongside the likes of Modeste M’Bami, Achille Emana and Emile M’Bamba at Jeunesse Stars in his native Yaounde - was signed, after a trial, by Lille later that year.

Makoun was obliged to return to Cameroon to obtain a working visa, but the French Consulate in Yaounde refused to grant the player the papers required to complete his dream move.

“There was nothing I could do,” he revealed. “I had to stay a whole year in Cameroon not doing anything. To my eternal good fortune, Lille’s club directors never gave up. They never stopped calling me to make sure I was okay and see how everything was progressing. It’s thanks to them that I never lost hope.”

After playing his entire first season (2001-02) in the Lille reserves, it was Coach Claude Puel who decided to invite Makoun on a pre-season retreat. At the end of two weeks, the 19-year-old had proved himself worthy of his Coach’s faith and was retained in the professional squad.

Yet it wasn’t until 2003 that Makoun’s talents really came to the fore. At just 1.72m and 70kg, he hardly boasts the imposing frame normally considered essential for an enforcing role in midfield, but what he lacks in stature, he makes up for in workload. “I may not be built for the job, but I’ve got all the qualities otherwise,” he said. “I’m quick, aggressive, technically I can hold my own and I’ve got a good shot."