Marcus Thuram opened up about his decision to join Inter, his early goals with the club and his childhood in Italy.
The 26-year-old French striker joined the Nerazzurri on a free transfer in July after his contract expired with Borussia Monchengladbach. He penned a five-year contract, worth around €6m net per season.
Thuram has quickly shined for Inter following his arrival, scoring five goals and providing eight assists in 16 games across Serie A and the Champions League. He’s already proved his impact, scoring the winners against Roma and Benfica.
Speaking to DAZN via Calciomercato.com, Thuram first discussed his love of anime and manga.
“When I was little, I really liked Dragon Ball on TV. Then I discovered comics. My cousins and I started buying them all, even other manga.”
He was asked about his immediate impact with Inter.
“When I arrived, I didn’t think about the impact I could have, I thought about fitting in as best as possible.
“Knowing Italian made it easier. I knew that the team was already very strong, I wanted to fit into the game. Tactically I’ve improved a lot since I’ve been here.”
The 26-year-old looked back at the Nerazzurri’s recent derby triumph over Milan.
“On a counter Lauti sent Denzel deep, I went to recover the ball and then I saw that Thiaw didn’t attack me immediately and I aimed at him.
“Being one against one, I had time to shoot, and I scored. When I close my eyes and think about the match, I think about entering the pitch with the two fan choreographies, a special moment.
“The week was normal, I thought about the matches and working. I had asked Mkhitaryan a bit, but they didn’t want to tell me too much because they told me ‘you’ll see…’.”
He spoke about which of his Inter goals he likes the most so far.
“When I scored against Fiorentina, it came to me like this because every match at San Siro you can hear an incredible noise.
“Perhaps of the goals scored the one I enjoyed the most was against Roma. It was an atmosphere particular. I took the time to enjoy the celebration.”
Thuram reflected on the World Cup final loss to Argentina.
“A spectacular match, those who saw it from the outside tell me. For me a little less inside, but that’s life. You win and lose matches.
“I often think about it, but I can’t do anything about it. We want to go back one day, I can think about it but we can’t change it.”
He touched on his admiration for compatriot Karim Benzema.
“Benzema is 100% an inspiration for me. He plays as a 9 but also as a 10, or as a winger. In every portion of the pitch, he can bring a solution to the team, and this is the type of 9 I want to be.
“He has me given a lot of advice but the most important is to respect the game: shoot if you have to shoot, pass if you have to pass. You always need the right response.”
The 26-year-old explained why he decided to join Inter on a free transfer this summer.
“Dimarco told me that he had been waiting for me for two years. Inter was a feeling I had inside me. I had injured myself two years earlier when I had to go to Inter. It made me feel very bad because I had already imagined myself being here. I wanted to come here.
“It was one of the last days of the transfer window, I had been talking to Inter all week. I thought about going to Inter and instead I got injured in the first half and I stayed at Borussia. I didn’t immediately realize that it was serious.
“I continued to play for five minutes and then stopped because it hurt, but I didn’t think it was very serious. Inter have always been close to me, they are good, respectful people and for this reason it was obvious for me to come to Inter.”
He spoke about his childhood memories of living in Italy.
“Many things, I went to the park, I played. I went to the stadium in Turin. It was wonderful to be in Italy as a child. I have a photo as a child with Federico Chiesa in Parma. I have a good relationship with Weah, I talk to him often.”
Thuram discussed his relationship with his father Lilian.
“When we won the World Cup, I wasn’t even a year old. For him it’s an incredible thing, I only found out at 10-11 years old who my father was. I didn’t see Lilian Thuram, I saw my dad.
“He first didn’t want me to become a footballer, then he saw that I loved football. He always helps me after the matches. He watches them. I like it, he makes me learn quickly.
“He’s very strict but it’s better this way because he has to tell me what I did wrong. When I score a goal and he sees me smile, he tells me ‘calm down and I’ll explain two or three things’.”
He revealed some teasing he receives from his father and family friend Fabio Cannavaro.
“Dad and Cannavaro have a game. If I score a goal, they say that if they had been on the pitch I wouldn’t have scored. So, I tell them ‘grandfather calm down and stay in front of the TV’.”
The French striker also told an amusing anecdote involving Lionel Messi.
“I was ten years old and one day Messi was there at training, he was 19-20 years old. It was the moment after the session when even children could come in.
“I had forgotten my shoes, Messi was the best player, close to my size. I was a size 38 and he 40-41. He gave me the shoes to play and then told me I could take them home.
“The next day, I went to football and I gave them to a friend, because I didn’t know well who Messi was. I regretted having done it every day…”
Finally, Thuram discussed his admiration for former Brazil striker Ronaldo.
“An idol. As a child I had a blanket that I never wanted to leave. My mother wanted to take it away from me and I didn’t want to, so she told me she had to give it to Ronaldo, and I gave it away. I don’t know where it ended up…”