Benjamin André
André playing for Lille in 2021
Personal information
Full name Benjamin Michel Édouard André[1]
Date of birth (1990-08-03) 3 August 1990
Place of birth Nice, France
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) Central midfielder, Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
Lille
Number 21
Youth career
1996–2006 Stade Raphaëlois
2006–2008 Ajaccio
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2014 Ajaccio 187 (12)
2014–2019 Rennes 154 (7)
2019– Lille 128 (5)
International career
2010–2011 France U21 7 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 July 2023

Benjamin Michel Édouard André (born 3 August 1990) is a French professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder or defensive midfielder and captains Ligue 1 club Lille.

Club career

Ajaccio

André was with the Corsica-based club Ajaccio since he was 16 years old, joining the club as an academy player after arriving from his hometown of Nice in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. After gaining notice playing on the club's under-18 side, he was promoted to the senior squad for the 2008–09 season, despite being only 17 years old at the time of the promotion. André appeared sparingly early on in the season making his debut on 22 August 2008 against Sedan appearing as a substitute in a 1–1 draw.[3] He earned his first start in a Coupe de France match on 22 November 2008 against amateur side Bagnols Pont playing 120 minutes. The match went into a penalty shootout with the young André converting Ajaccio's final shootout goal ensuring the club's advancement to the next round.[4]

Five days later, he made his first league start in a 2–0 defeat to Boulogne.[5] Throughout the season, his starts increased and, despite Ajaccio's inconsistent play, became an instant revelation[6] helping the club reach the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France. He scored his first career goal of the season on the final match day of the season against Châteauroux in a 2–1 loss.[7] His best season with Ajaccio was the 2013–14 Ligue 1 season. Although Ajaccio were relegated, he provided four goals and five assists across all competitions.[8]

Rennes

In the summer transfer market of 2014, André signed with Rennes after six years at Ajaccio.[9] On 25 January 2015, he scored his first goal for Stade Rennais in a 4–1 loss against Caen.[10]

On 27 April 2019, he won the 2018–19 Coupe de France as Rennes beat league champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final, playing the full 120 minutes and lifting the trophy as the team captain.[11]

Lille

André against Salzburg in 2021

On 17 July 2019, André signed a four-year deal with Lille, for a reported €8 million transfer fee.[12][13] For his first season with Lille, he played his first UEFA Champions League games.

André quickly became an important player for Lille. He showed himself as a consistent performer and their midfield linchpin, as they won their fourth league title during the 2020–21 season, playing 35 league games and emerging as the team vice-captain.[14] Therefore, he was named in the UNFP Team of the Year.[15]

During the 2021–22 Lille OSC season, he participated in the 1–0 win against PSG in the Trophée des Champions, with the club winning that trophy for the first time ever.[16] Later, he helped the team to get out of the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League group stage and played against Chelsea in round of 16.[17]

On 7 August 2022, André started off the new season under new head coach Paulo Fonseca by scoring Lille's first goal in a 4–1 victory over Auxerre on the league opening weekend, 36 seconds after kick-off.[18]

On 12 January 2023, he extended his contract with Lille until 2026.[19]

Personal life

André was born in France to a Senegalese mother and a French father.[20]

Club statistics

As of match played 3 June 2023[21]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
LeagueAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Ajaccio 2008–09 Ligue 2 2614010311
2009–10 Ligue 2 3322020372
2010–11 Ligue 2 3212030371
2011–12 Ligue 1 3341000344
2012–13 Ligue 1 2701010290
2013–14 Ligue 1 3641010384
Total 1871211080000020612
Rennes 2014–15 Ligue 1 2212030271
2015–16 Ligue 1 3201110341
2016–17 Ligue 1 3602000380
2017–18 Ligue 1 3431041394
2018–19 Ligue 1 303612080464
Total 1547122101800018410
Lille 2019–20 Ligue 1 262203050362
2020–21 Ligue 1 3503050430
2021–22 Ligue 1 332107010422
2022–23 Ligue 1 34130371
Total 12859030170101585
Career total 469243222112501054827

Honours

Rennes

Lille

Individual

References

  1. "FABAFO". BFM Verif (in French). NextInteractive. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
    "Benjamin Andre". BFM Business (in French). NextInteractive. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  2. "Benjamin André" (in French). Lille OSC. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  3. "Sedan v. Ajaccio Match Report". Ligue de Football Professionnel.
  4. "Bagnols v. Ajaccion Match Report". Ligue de Football Professionnel.
  5. "Ajaccio v. Boulogne Match Report". Ligue de Football Professionnel.
  6. "EspoirsduFootball.com".
  7. "Châteauroux v. Ajaccio Match Report". Ligue de Football Professionnel.
  8. "Player Profile: Benjamin André". Ligue de Football Professionnel. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  9. "B. André rejoint Rennes (in French)". L'Équipe. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  10. "Stade Rennais FC - SM Caen (1-4) - Saison 2014/2015 - Ligue 1 Conforama". Ligue de Football Professionnel.
  11. 1 2 Scott, A. (27 April 2019). "Rennes stun PSG on penalties to win Coupe". Ligue 1. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  12. "Benjamin André a signé". Lille OSC. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  13. "Transferts : Benjamin André quitte Rennes pour Lille". L'Équipe (in French). 17 July 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  14. 1 2 "Lille hold their nerve to clinch their first Ligue 1 title for a decade". The Guardian. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  15. 1 2 "Trophées UNFP : cinq Parisiens, deux Lillois et deux Lyonnais dans l'équipe type" [Trophées UNFP : five Parisiens, two Lillois and two Lyonnais in the typical team]. Le Figaro (in French). 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  16. 1 2 "Lille 1–0 Paris Saint-Germain: Les Dogues clinch first French Super Cup". Sky Sports. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  17. "A nouveau battu par Chelsea, Lille éliminé de la Ligue des champions en huitièmes de finale". Le Monde (in French). 16 March 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  18. Coldefy, Quentin (7 August 2022). "Auxerre refroidi d'entrée à Lille pour son retour en Ligue 1". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  19. "Benjamin André est un Dogue et le restera jusqu'en 2026 !". LOSC.fr (in French). 12 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  20. "De Saint-Raphaël à Rennes : Itinéraire de Benjamin André, le maître à jouer du Stade Rennais". France Football.
  21. Benjamin André at Soccerway. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
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