Jules Kounde opens up about his career: “I was rejected several times”

Jules Kounde was one of Barcelona’s major investments during the summer transfer window, with the defender joining the club on a big-money move from Sevilla.

In a recent interview, Jules offered interesting insights into his early life and career ambitions, before he started playing football on a professional level and eventually joined Barcelona.

“My first trials with big clubs did not go well. The Bordeaux U13 team rejected me several times, for example,” Kounde reveals (h/t Barça Universal). “When I was little, I used to play for a club that lost a lot. I’m talking… 9/10 times we would lose matches. I developed this kind of hatred for losing. It made me as competitive as I am today.”

In the early stages of his career, Kounde used to play for Fraternelle de Landiras before joining Cerons (2008-2010) and FC La Brede (2010-2013). He started playing professional for Bordeaux in 2017, at 19.

“Right before I made my debut for Bordeaux, I was about to join a third-division side on loan. Then, due to an injury crisis, I had to play in the first team. I only had one shot, and I made it. I stayed in the team and played the rest of the games that season,” he added.

However, being a professional footballer was not Kounde’s initial plan. “Originally, my idea as a child was not to become a professional athlete. I started playing football for fun,” says the defender.

But the Frenchman clarified that football was always his passion, adding, “I always enjoyed watching football. I remember some Champions League matches from when I was a kid. My mom would send me to sleep at half-time because I had school the next day. Even now, I watch the sport a lot in a more analytical way, to improve my game.”

Since joining Barça in the summer, Kounde has featured in only six matches so far, including the most recent game against Real Madrid. Despite the defeat, he highlighted the importance of the support he has gotten so far and labelled it as a vital aspect for any footballer.

“Nothing is better than having full stadium support you; for club and country. It drives you. When you’re a child you see it on TV and you dream of it, but later it becomes real and you can’t believe it.”

The Frenchman had only returned from an injury in the game but insists he is looking to remain calm and wants to focus on the task at hand.

“When you are calm when you’re not stressed. That’s when you show your best version of the pitch. I have always said that. When you work hard and focus on yourself, good things will always happen,” he said.

The defender went on to talk more about the importance of motivation, adding: “The other day I was reading this book saying that motivation was the key to everything. Sometimes you wake up and you don’t feel well, but you can’t stop. You have goals to achieve, and nothing can stop you. I apply that in football as well as in my personal life.

“Every time I achieve something in my career, it’s not that I don’t enjoy it, but I’m already thinking about the next step,” he added.

Jules Kounde’s comments just after Jose Carlos Enzue’s visit to the Barcelona camp. The former Spanish manager was reportedly hired to motivate the troops following their recent debacles.

Whether or not Unzue’s inspired speeches come in handy or not will be revealed in Barcelona’s upcoming La Liga contest against Villarreal, as they look to get back on track after back-to-back losses.

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