 Sometimes William Gallas doesn’t make life easy for himself. While he has made it abundantly clear to both Jose Mourinho and Raymond Domenech that he is a centre-half by trade, he does his chances of playing in his favoured position no good at all by turning in consistently commanding displays at left-back.
Described recently by the France boss as “one of the best left-backs in the world”, Gallas seems ready, albeit reluctantly, to accept his fate at international level. At Chelsea this season, Mourinho is listening to the versatile Frenchman… at last. Ricardo Carvalho may not be able to believe it, but Gallas’ extraordinary record alongside John Terry surely justifies the choice. In a rare interview, Gallas speaks to channel4.com’s Laurent Lacroix about Chelsea, France and Wednesday's crunch World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland.
How are you feeling ahead of the big game in Dublin?
I feel fine, confident. It’s been a difficult year for France but we’ve not yet lost a game and we’re still in with as good a chance of qualifying as the other teams. I’m excited about playing in Dublin. It’s going to be a fantastic night and an exciting game. The Irish will come at us from the first whistle and we’ll have to be at our best and make sure we respond. It’ll be played at 100 miles-an-hour, a bit like a Premiership match. But these are the kind of games I enjoy. It’s going to be a night to remember whatever happens and I’m really looking forward to it.
How do you feel about facing your Chelsea teammate Damien Duff?
I’m used to playing against him in training so I know he'll be a major threat to France. He’s very fast and very direct. He'll probably not be playing on my flank, as he usually plays on the left. Willy Sagnol will have to look after him and I’m sure he’ll do a good job. He played against Duff in the Champions’ League last year so he knows what to expect.
You must be delighted to have won back your place at centre-back with Chelsea.
Yes, of course I am. It gives me a huge amount of pleasure, even if I don’t know how long it will last. There’s great competition for places at Chelsea and Ricardo Carvalho will be desperate to get his place back - just like I was desperate to be playing in the centre last season. For me, the most important thing is to play well, and I feel that my best performances come when I am in the middle.
Raymond Domenech continues to pick you at left-back, and this week described you as one of the best left-backs in the world.
He may think that, but other people think I'm better in the middle. The two positions are very different. When I play on the left I have to contribute more going forward and that’s not my natural game. It's frustrating because I know I've done some really stupid things during some France matches. My passing and my crossing has not always been of a good standard.
How do you feel about the return of Lilian Thuram which has made it even harder for you to earn a centre-back spot?
Everyone knows that Thuram is a great defender. He has so much experience and he has this calm presence on the pitch which rubs off on the people around him. I know his return makes it even harder for me to play where I’d like to play, but I don’t mind. The most important thing is that France qualify for the World Cup and we clearly have more chance of doing that with Thuram in the team.
What does Zinedine Zidane bring that was maybe lacking last season?
A lot. He has great technical quality and experience. He showed in the Ivory Coast game in Montpellier just how classy he still is. He keeps the ball, he’s always available, he knows when to accelerate the game and when to slow it down. Zidane’s the maestro. It’s as simple as that.
You also showed your qualities in Montpellier. How did it feel to finally score a goal for France?
Scoring on my birthday was fantastic. It was my first international goal so it was obviously a special moment. The fact that I’d missed some big chances in recent games made me especially determined and that’s why I went so crazy afterwards. But there was a lot to like about the goal. I jumped really high and connected perfectly with the header. The fact that it set up it victory was also important, but the part I liked most was the reaction of my teammates.
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