He’s one of Europe’s in-form forwards and is a name on the lips of many as they hope their club moves for him in this January window.
Reportedly wanted by Arsenal and Newcastle United, Boulaye Dia is a man in demand as his standing in the game looks to grow rapidly.
Second only to World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe in France’s top flight, with ten goals in 15 appearances so far this term, he has attracted interest from the Premier League and afar.
However it could have been all so different for the 24-year-old after revealing he spent a short part of his footballing career in Wales.
In an interview with Get French Football News in November, he confirmed he spent time on trial with Airbus UK, after following a friend there from his Oyonnax days.
It is believed that Dia’s friend was Kevin Monteiro, who joined the Wingmakers in January 2016 for a brief stint, before moving into the English game.
“Yes, a friend of mine whom I played with in Oyonnax when we were younger had gone to play in a top division club in Wales, in the Welsh league,” said the Senegalese international.
“The following season, through his agent, he contacted a few players to ask them to come over for trials. So I went with some team-mates.
“And it went well but I wasn’t prepared to go there. I think the club was Airbus. Well that was the club my friend played for. The agent said a few clubs were interested but it was all a bit ambiguous so I decided to go back to France.“
Embed from Getty ImagesA permanent move to The Airfield failed to materialise, with Dia’s friend Monteiro moving on to Southport, where he followed former Airbus boss Andy Preece.
Dia meanwhile focused on securing his electricians licence, which saw him put his dreams of becoming a professional footballer on hold.
However his decision paid off as he would become a qualified electrician, as well as earning a dream move which would propel his career.
He would excel in the French fourth tier with Jura-Sud, scoring 15 goals in 20 matches, before earning a move to his current side Stade de Reims.
He added: “I still wanted to become a footballer but it wasn’t my priority. First I had to work and earn a living for me, for my family [Boulaye is the sixth of seven siblings].
“But football was always at the back of my mind, and my plan was to work for a year or two and then to really go for it, apply for trials at the CFA (4th division) level and hopefully use that as a springboard to get to the professional level.”
(Featured Image: Bigmatbasket)
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