Monaco’s strong beginning in the French league has come at the same time as Eliesse Ben Seghir’s return to form.
The 19-year-old Moroccan midfielder is impressing in coach Adi Hütter’s Monaco team, which remains unbeaten and shares points with defending champion Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille after five matches.
In a match against Le Havre last Sunday, Ben Seghir scored Monaco’s second goal in a 3-1 victory at home with a beautiful curling shot into the top corner after cutting inside onto his right foot.
He joked after the game that his teammates call that shot “The Special” because it’s his signature move. This was his second goal of the season.
Ben Seghir had shown his talent when he scored twice on his league debut two years ago.
At the club that helped launch the careers of French stars Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappé, expectations rose quickly because of his well-taken goals, including one that was similar to a Mbappé-style curler after cutting in from the left.
He scored two more goals that season, but the next year, he struggled with persistent hamstring and shoulder injuries, which limited him to just a few starts.
“Last season was very tough for me. I’m not really used to being injured and being away from the field,” he told sports daily L’Equipe. “I took it very badly. But thanks to the staff, the coach, and my teammates, I got my form back.”
The skilled Ben Seghir, who plays best from the left side of midfield, mentioned that he used his time off to focus on strength and conditioning training.
“When I started out maybe I was a bit frail,” he said. “I got stronger, I beefed up a bit (and) tried to work on my weaknesses.”
