Speaking to L’Équipe whilst on international duty with the France U21 side, AS Monaco forward Maghnes Akliouche (21) has spoken about the importance of taking his chances when they come for club and country.
Akliouche, a product of the prestigious La Diagonale Monaco academy, found game time limited prior to this season. The Frenchman played just over 400 minutes of Ligue 1 football last season. Going into this campaign, he was yet to score for the Principality club in the French top flight, but that changed in the curtain-raiser against Clermont Foot, as he added Monaco’s fourth late on.
He has since earned more game time and is starting to earn the trust of new manager Adi Hütter. Akliouche, in the absences of Takumi Minamino and Aleksandr Golovin, got his chance against Olympique de Marseille, and he took it. He scored twice and assisted the third as Les Monégasques beat Les Phocéens. Akliouche also earned his first France U21 call-up this season, and he is clearly appreciated by new Bleuets manager Thierry Henry.
Akliouche understands the importance of using the limited minutes that he has had to impress. “It’s important that I show good things in the minutes I’m given by the manager. That’s what I’m trying to do: to string together a good run of games, of minutes and keep the good dynamic that we currently have,” said the Monaco forward.
He added, “Individually, it’s important for me to be decisive all the time. That’s what I’m trying to do at Monaco as well, where we play a very attacking brand of football […] when there are absences, it’s important to make your mark when you get the chance to play.”
