This season I changed coach and it is now Bruno Roux who is managing the under 18 team. Against my wishes, he makes me play up front. In 12 matches I score 13 Goals. This performance gets me into the B-team of SM Caen in CFA2 from January 2002. I found myself back with Laurent Lesgent with whom I had played in defence. I carry on playing well but this changing of position worries me and I am convinced that it’s doing me no good.

This leads to my first call up to the under 17 French team (5-0 win against Scotland). The selector, Luc Rabat, made me play as a central defender. In April, to my great surprise, he asked me to participate in the European Championship in Denmark.

This is my first big international competition. We lost in the final against Switzerland on penalties. It remains my biggest regret for the 2001-2002 season.

At the end of the season I trained a little with the 1st team at the request of Gaby Calderon who had a great belief in my abilities as a forward. The first team was at this time being coached by Hervé Gauthier.