News

Maupay wants to give the fans some cheer

French striker hopes #ePremierLeague tournament can provide welcome relief for supporters.

By Alex Stedman • 23 April 2020

By Paul Hazlewood
Neal Maupay wheels away to celebrate a goal at the Amex.

Albion forward Neal Maupay says that the current #ePremierLeague FIFA 20 tournament being run by the Premier League is a good way to keep football fans engaged during the coronavirus crisis. 

Maupay takes on Philip Billing of AFC Bournemouth at 2pm this afternoon in the last 16 of the competition and spoke about his desire to do as well as he can when he represents the club.

He said, “Philip will provide me with a stern test, I haven’t watched his first game but apparently he’s a good player. 

“But I want to win because every time I do something, I give all of my time focus and energy to it. 

“The work I did in the game mode with Brighton before I beat John McGinn 6-1 on Tuesday obviously helped, I played with some friends and got used to the players and the way I wanted to play. 

“It’ll be exciting and it’s nice for the fans to have something to watch. At the moment there’s no football, so the fans naturally want their team to win. 

“It would be great for the supporters if I could win. Everyone is missing the real game and competition. The fans want me to win, I’ve read the comments on social media and they’re all behind me. 

“That’s the reason I’m preparing in the way I have been. I want to make them proud and give them something to smile and cheer about while we are away from them during this difficult time.”

Maupay stylishly beat Aston Villa’s John McGinn 6-1 in the first round of the tournament on Tuesday, with Glenn Murray finding the net four times and Maupay and Trossard also getting on the scoresheet.

“It was hard to know the level to expect, but obviously it was quite comfortable in the end,” added Maupay. 

“I started well and scored two goals quite early in the first half. It gave me something to hold onto and build on, so it went very well. 

“It gave me confidence and it ended up being quite a big win in the end.”