Former Spurs midfielder struggled abroad but Franck Haise’s climate of trust at Le Gym has allowed him to thrive

By Luke Entwistle for Get French Football News

“Before – not after – every player, there is a person,” philosophises Franck Haise. The new Nice manager became renowned for getting the best out of players during his time at Lens, from reviving careers such as that of Wesley Saïd, to making them, as he did with Jonathan Gradit and Florian Sotoca, both rose from the depths of amateur football to experience Champions League football in their twilight years.

“There isn’t anything magic,” says Haise. “I don’t have a wand. It’s just about creating a relationship.” There are plenty of hypotheses as to why Tanguy Ndombele did not work at Tottenham, but perhaps his previous managers’ inability to build that relationship was one.