El Olympique Marsella ha encontrado su ‘goliat’ particular en Souleymane Isaak Tour (Gonesse, 28-3-2003). The former defender of Le Havre, 2.04 meters tall, has signed with the team chaired by the Spanish Pablo Fernndez Longoria until 2027.
“At 2.04m, Isaak is a robust player who is very comfortable in the air. At 19, he has natural leadership. His power and solidity in duels and his ability to anticipate they make him a player with a very high potential”underline the ‘OM’ by way of introduction.
Isaak (2.04 meters) is a robust player who feels very comfortable in the aerial game, he has a lot of potential
Isaak Tour, who has just captained France in the U19 European Championship, will make his debut at Le Havre in Ligue 2 on August 29, 2020 at the hands of Paul Le Guen. He was 17 years, five months and one day.
“Measuring 2.04 is good… but it also has disadvantages”
His imposing height is not, for now, a handicap for Tour. “I have an atypical morphology. I see it as an asset and I take advantage of it. There are disadvantages, of course, but for me it is a strength,” he acknowledged in an interview with the Le Havre website.
I have an atypical morphology, but I see it as an asset and I take advantage of it
His physique, however, played tricks on him in terms of injuries, especially in his first season with the first team. “I have to work harder than the rest. I’ve taken a liking to working with the physical trainers. In the past year, I haven’t grown and gained a bit of body mass,” admits.
He has gone from being a striker… to a defender
Tour, left-handed, can play as a center back and even as a left back. In his beginnings, at AEA Saint-Pierre, he was quite a ‘killer’.
I love basketball, but I’m not good with my hands.”
“I never imagined playing defense. When you’re a kid you want to be a striker. I played as a ‘9’, as a winger or as a midfielder and I was inspired by players like Didier Drogba or Yaya Tour”, he points out.
I never imagined playing defense. I was inspired by players like Drogba or Yaya Tour and I wanted to play as a striker.
Mohamed Chacha, his coach at Le Havre under 17, led his particular ‘metamorphosis‘: “He saw that he could evolve as a defender. I was not happy with the change at first and for several months we had various conflicts. Little by little I understood it and I have ended up maturing this position. This new role allows me to play from behind and lead the team… and I like that a lot.”
My coach saw that I could evolve as a defender. I was not happy with the change at first and for several months we had various conflicts
Flirt with judo and basketball
His 2.04 is more typical of a center forward than a center back… but Tour was clear about his path: “As a child I tried many sports. Basketball and Judo in particular, but I opted for football.”
Your decision has an explanation: “I love basketball. I watch a lot of games But I’m not good with my hands.
Linked to Madrid, City, RB Leipzig…
Marseille, finally, has taken a defender who, in recent months, has been courted by half of Europe.
In France they have echoed the presumed interest of Real Madrid, Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, Rennes y Lille, among others, by Isaak Tour.
