A late bloomer when he arrived on the top-tier professional scene with Montpellier in Ligue 1, few expected Olivier Giroud to continue playing at the highest level as long as he has.
Well, Arsène Wenger did, as the striker explained to France Football in an interview about longevity in the sport, but for the most part, his ability to find the back of the net as consistently as he still does when called upon is impressive to say the least.
Of course, the improvements in diet and ‘life hygiene’, as he puts it, have a lot to do with it, as does his style of play, and Chelsea’s Giroud believes he still has a lot left in the tank.
Asked if he felt he’s recessed physically as the years have gone by, he said: “Not that much. I don’t find myself diminished, I’m in shape. When signs will appear, I’ll feel them. I’ll be aware when I realise I’ve lost speed, acceleration, jumping… But I hope to have another three, four, five years at the high level. It’s the aim”.
Proving all of this when Frank Lampard started him regularly towards the back end of last season and when called up to the France squad by Didier Deschamps, Giroud isn’t even the oldest player at Stamford Bridge.
Both Willy Caballero (39) and new signing Thiago Silva (36) are older than him, but that doesn’t mean they have nothing to offer.
Giroud made that clear: “They bring a lot. Thiago is serenity, experience. Maybe he can’t play every three days, but he’s still at the top, or not far from it. And Willy is immensely competitive. Honestly, he astonishes me”.
Remaining competitive is exactly what Giroud wants to do, and he finished the interview he’s ‘proud’ of being able to bring his best self to the pitch at his age.
Whether Chelsea are the ones benefitting from this down the line remains to be seen, as Frank Lampard leans on new signing Timo Werner in the early stages of the season, but one thing is certain: the French striker isn’t done yet.
