Alphonse Areola is relishing the opportunity to return to the club where he kicked-started his career this weekend.
Areola was a 20-year-old with just two senior appearances for Paris Saint-Germain under his belt when he was loaned to RC Lens for the 2013/14 season, fresh from winning the FIFA U-20 World Cup with France that summer.
The rookie goalkeeper excelled in the colours of Les Sang et Or (The Blood and Gold), keeping 12 clean sheets, conceding just 31 goals to help Lens finish second in Ligue 2 and win promotion, securing him the Goalkeeper of the Year award and a place in the Team of the Season.
Areola’s successful loan spell set the foundation for a career that has seen him go on to win Ligue 1, La Liga and a host of domestic cup competitions with PSG and Real Madrid and form part of France’s 2018 FIFA World Cup-winning squad.
And with such fond memories of his time at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis and playing in front of Lens’ large and passionate fanbase, the 29-year-old is savouring the opportunity to head back to northern France for West Ham’s final pre-season fixture ahead of what promises to be an action-packed 2022/23 campaign.
“I’m looking forward to going back to Lens,” he confirmed. “It was my first team as a professional as a number one goalkeeper in the [French] Second Division. We went up and we had a great season with lots of fans as well.
“It will be a great atmosphere there and I can’t wait to see to the fans.”
After travelling across the English Channel for Saturday’s fixture with Lens, West Ham kick-off 2022/23 by welcoming reigning Premier League champions Manchester City to London Stadium for their season opener on Sunday 7 August.
And with further top-flight fixtures with Nottingham Forest, Brighton & Hove Albion, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur and a two-legged UEFA Conference League play-off round tie also scheduled in August, Areola knows this pre-season meeting with his old club carries plenty of importance for David Moyes, his staff and his players.
“We will have to compete as much as we can because they played well last season as well and they have good players, so it will be good preparation for our season,” he confirmed.
