At the age of 24, Ibrahima Konaté has established himself in the centre of the French team. The Liverpool defender, who has 11 caps to his name, has taken over from Raphaël Varane on the right of the hinge. On Friday, against the Netherlands in Amsterdam in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, he is likely to be partnered by Lucas Hernandez in a fiery encounter. He was at a press conference late this morning in Clairefontaine, Didier Deschamps’ Les Bleus headquarters.

How do you feel about the trip to the Netherlands?

It’s a big game for us. It’s a big game. We saw that in the first leg, they’ve got quality despite the heavy defeat, and we’ve got a qualification to go for. They’ve got revenge to play for, and I’m talking about that with Virgil van Dijk (editor’s note: his partner at Liverpool). He told me about a very intense game at home. The Dutch are expecting us to go all the way, but we want to finish top of our group. They know we’re a good team.

How do you rate the Netherlands, who you beat 4-0 in the first leg?

They were missing some players, but that’s no excuse. We got off to a fantastic start, going 3-0 up in thirty minutes. We need to build on that and try to match that performance, even if it’s going to be tough.

Are you one of the coach’s relays?

It’s important to have players with responsibilities. I like having them. Not just on the pitch, but also in the life of the group, with the fans and the people we meet.

How would you sum up your 11 caps?

I managed to get into the French team. That’s success. The most difficult thing is to stay in the team by working at club level and putting in good performances. I have a positive record, with the World Cup, the final and the qualifying matches. There’s still work to be done and I hope to be here for a while yet.

Are you a fixture in the national team?

I’d never say that, especially in the French national team where the competition is enormous. That’s not my mentality. If I have an important role to play, I’m going to do everything I can to live up to expectations. We’re playing for the cockerel, for the nation. Our aim is not to concede any goals in these qualifiers. To put it in a box somewhere.

Is Virgil van Dijk, the Netherlands and Liverpool defender, a role model?

There are very few defenders who have managed to have as successful a career as he has. I’m learning a lot from him. My goal, and he knows it, is to have a better career than him. For a long time, my number 1 was Sergio Ramos.

What do you think of Thierry Henry’s comments on the mental health of footballers, which the U-21 coach feels is not taken into account enough?

I really liked Thierry Henry’s comments on this subject. It’s a very important subject. Criticism affects mental health. Maybe journalists don’t care about that, but it weighs heavily on us. Criticism hurts. I can count on friends to support me, but some of them are younger and have fewer friends. You can tell when a player is isolated. You have to try and reach out to them when things aren’t going so well, by trying to get inside their heads so that they open up, feel better and gain confidence.

Symbolically, are you Raphaël Varane’s successor in the national team?

No, not yet. Not yet. It’s one of my goals, but I’m still a long way from everything he’s won, his record, everything Raphaël Varane has achieved.