Melvine Malard vows to 'become a legend' at Chelsea under Sonia Bompastor after Reunion upbringing
Melvine Malard, the French forward who grew up on Réunion, says she aims to “become a legend” at Chelsea under manager Sonia Bompastor after completing a big-money move from Manchester United this summer and experiencing a London derby at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Her transfer arrives amid a busy personal year that has included a wedding in June and a Ballon d’Or nomination.
Malard traces her roots to Réunion, describing it as “a little island with a lot of people smiling, good life and good food,” and says girls did not really play football there when she was young. She began playing later than most, “at six or seven,” after trying “literally every other sport.” At 14 she was spotted by Bompastor at an under-15s match at Clairefontaine, where Bompastor was overseeing Lyon’s academy, and was persuaded to move more than 5,600 miles away by her mother’s consent.
Signing for Chelsea from Manchester United this summer reunited Malard with the coach who first brought her into elite youth football and, she says, was a “full circle moment.” Reflecting on her time at United she said: “I will never forget Manchester United.” She added that perceived shortcomings in support at her previous club influenced her decision: “Of course, it’s for that reason that I’m here. I don’t want to lose any time in my career. Football moves quickly and sometimes you need to make the choice that is best for your career. I think coming here was a good choice. At Chelsea, there are clear ambitions: to win the game, win the trophies and raise the level higher. That is where I need to be.”
Malard emphasises the faith Bompastor has shown in her development. “She knows my qualities, my energy, my personality and she knows what I need to learn and where I need to progress,” Malard says. On Bompastor’s wider influence she added: “It’s not just about Sonia as a manager. Sonia is also a legendary player, [her assistant and partner] Camille Abily also. They played football, they know football and when they speak with me I can’t say anything because they know more than me. That can help you progress a lot, they set the level you know you need to be at to become a legend.”
On the pitch Malard has already produced decisive moments for Chelsea in European qualifying, coming off the bench in the 5-2 home win over Real Sociedad and, with the score at 2-2, scoring the first of her two goals 12 minutes later. She said of that contribution: “It felt good, very good.” A frustrating couple of weeks out with injury followed, but she returned and scored in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Birmingham and featured in the 1-0 win over Austria Vienna on Wednesday.
Away from match action Malard describes the simple sources of her happiness. When asked what keeps her smiling she replied, “Goals,” and then: “Seriously though, it’s seeing the kids, the families, my family, in the stands. It is crazy. I love my life, I love my job, I’m happy with my wife and everything is good. I smile because of those things, because I’m happy.” She says the team aspect and the freedom she feels playing are central: “I have to play with a lot of energy and a lot of smiles. It’s also important for me that the fans get to know me and get to enjoy the football with me.”
Malard has set a clear target for her time at Chelsea, linking individual legacy to club success and European competition: “I want to write my name on a new page, but not any page, a page you remember. For me, the way to do that with Chelsea is to win something the club has never won..” She is preparing to play Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and said of the fixture: “All players want to play this game. You train hard for these games against big teams in big stadiums with lots of fans waiting for you to play and score. I can’t wait.”