In recent months, St Etienne boss Christophe Galtier has been linked with the head coach vacancy at St James’ Park but the Frenchman has distanced himself from the rumours and denies any contact with Newcastle.
In the wake of this news, we caught up with Christophe’s son, Jordan Galtier, who has chosen to focus on football coaching, after a playing career that saw him play alongside several big names at Auxerre and Bordeaux.
Who was the biggest inspiration to you when growing up?
As a child, I didn’t have a big inspiration. I just wanted to be a professional footballer. I always wanted it. Sometimes my friends laughed at me as they said it wasn’t a real job.
Who was the best footballer you have ever played against?
I have played against a lot of players, who now play in Europe’s big leagues. Alessandrini from Marseille is such a good player. I have played with Grégory Sertic, Henri Saivet, Gabriel Obertan and Grzegorz Krychowiak as well. We were together in the youth team of Bordeaux.
In England, there is a lot of talk surrounding the development of homegrown talent at the moment but many team still favour foreign talent. Do you think that damages the Premier League, and other leagues alike, or does it add to the excitement and overall quality?
In my opinion, each country must develop homegrown talent. It must be the priority of each country to have the best young players and then they play in the league of that country. It must be the most important thing for each big club in Europe to try to form and raise players who came from around their city. A young player needs a good environment to develop and reach the A teams. In France, we have a stat/saying that a young player who leaves his parents to go into a football academy, which is at 150km away from home, he has only 10% chance of succeeding, whereas a local player has a lot more. So, for me, it’s very important to develop local players.
In recent years, Newcastle have become renowned for their recruitment of French players in recent windows. Is that an attraction to you, as a young footballer, to one day secure a move to England, Spain, Germany?
Right now, I’m focused on being a coach. I’m passing my exams to become a coach. But, as a player, I’d loved playing in other countries to learn new cultures.
Who is your favourite Newcastle United player (past or present)?
I had the chance to meet Yohan Cabaye several times. I like the player a lot. I love the man.
Who is your favourite Premier League player of all time and why?
A difficult question! I loved David Beckham for all that he did, as well as Eric Cantona, but I’m a big fan of Spanish fan.
The final one. Who do you think is the best French footballer, currently, in world football?
For me, the best French footballer is Paul Pogba. He has everything. He just has to grow up as a man and I think he can go far.
