Profile: Matias Fernandez-Pardo Looks to Become Next Jonathan David

Fernandez-Pardo has already had one stint with Lille during his youth career, spending seven years in the club’s academy. In 2020, the 19-year-old left to join KAA Gent and it’s in Belgium where he’d crack the first team.

With Gent, the teenager made 28 appearances, scoring ten goals and recording two assists. This past summer, he returned to Lille ready to contribute to the first team and continue his development as a striker.

After scoring his first Ligue 1 goal against Nice, Fernandez-Pardo revealed that this strike will give him the confidence to trust his attacking mindset to ensure he’s putting the ball in the back of the net.

“This will give me confidence going forward. I’m very generous. Sometimes I mess up the final move because I choose to pass rather than finishing myself. People tell me this, and it’s sinking in.”

“I came back because everything is here for young players to develop now. And it was my priority (compared to other European clubs I was in contact with) because I knew this is where I would feel the best. I wanted to go to Lille.”

Lille manager Bruno Génésio believes that scoring his first league goal will help him shake off the pressure and start building confidence, ultimately enabling him to find the back of the net more often.

“He’s showing his potential, and he reminds me of a player I once had. He needs to build confidence. This goal will do him a lot of good. He has technical skills that complement his speed.

"Here, he scores after an extraordinary run and then initiates the second goal, using his speed and clear-headedness to pass to Benji (André).”

Lille have had success finding a striker in Belgium in the past as Jonathan David also came from Gent. The Canadian arrived in 2020 and has gone on to make 202 appearances across all competitions, scoring 97 goals and recording 20 assists.

Fernandez-Pardo will look to replicate this success and be the go-to goal scorer that David has become for Lille.

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