Lens new boy Ganago talks of Balotelli inspiration

New RC Lens recruit Ignatius Ganago has praised Mario Balotelli for giving him inspiration during his time at OGC Nice.

The 21-year-old moved to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis after falling to nail a regular berth in the starting XI at the Allianz Riviera.

Despite struggling to impose himself, he was able to gain experience in the French Riviera, with Balotelli one of the key figures to inspire him. The eccentric Italian forward of Ghanaian descent was with Nice between 2016 and 2019 and netted 43 goals in 76 outings.

Ganago also recounted his journey to Nice, which began in his native country with Douala-based Ecole de Football Brasseries du Cameroun (EFCB) between 2011 and 2017, before he moved to France.

“I was very happy, I liked [Mario] Balotelli a lot," Ganago told FootMercato. "I liked his character. He inspired me. There was also Dante. During my first training with the pros, I took pictures with them. They were players I watched on TV in the Champions League!

“I was very happy to be there, but it was not going the way I wanted on the pitch," the forward added. "It was completely different from Cameroon; the climate, the way of playing, the training, the way of training…

"It was complicated, especially in terms of intensity. The thing is that in Cameroon I was the player we counted on the most, while [in Nice,] there were other players like me. We had to work more.

“At first I was a little lost, but I was lucky that there was a Cameroonian present at the club for a long time [Alvaro Ngamba]. He helped me a lot, he gave me advice after training, he reassured me too. After three weeks I started to adapt, then I was called a pro."

Ganago believes that Nice boss Patrick Vieira did not want him to leave the club, but that it was clear he had to more on in search of regular playing time.

“It was a great relationship," he continued. "[Vieira] never told me he wanted me to go, he always encouraged me to work, it was going very well, he gave me a lot of advice, but I saw how it was and that I was not going to be number one. So, I preferred to leave."

Lens are back in Ligue 1 after five years and they start their campaign against Nice on Sunday. Ganago has nothing but respect for his former employers and is happy to take on the pressure that will come with his club.

“Obviously, it's always something [to go back]. It's my first club in France, that's where I became a professional. It is a club that I cannot forget and that will always remain in my heart," he added. "Even though today I have moved on, I am in a new project in which I really want to get involved.

“It's a good pressure for me. I like having that weight on my back. It forces me to give more. When all eyes are on me, when everyone is looking at me, when everyone wants to see what Ganago is capable of, the player who cost six million [Euros], for me that's extra motivation.

“I want to take a step forward in my career and I think it's time. I will work every day for that and I think that when you work there is always a result at the finish.”