One to Watch: Dayann Methalie, Toulouse's latest home-grown talent

Toulouse have done it again. After Guillaume Restes, Kévin Keben and Shavy Babicka, another academy gem has burst into the spotlight. His name is Dayann Methalie — the 19-year-old defender whose fearless runs, raw energy and emotional honesty have made him one of the revelations of the Ligue 1 McDonald’s season.

A year ago, he hadn’t played a single professional minute. Today, he has 12 Ligue 1 appearances (10 starts), a new long-term contract until 2030, and a place with France’s U21s, where his debut included a memorable brace against the Faroe Islands. “It’s crazy how fast everything has gone,” he told L’Équipe. “Not playing at all last season actually helped me. It prepared me for all of this. Now I just play my football without overthinking.”

A fearless debut and a rapid rise

Handed his first start by Carles Martínez Novell away to Nice on the opening day, Methalie immediately looked at home in the top flight. But the transformation didn’t happen overnight. Last season, he made the matchday squad 12 times without getting on the pitch. It's a period he now considers fundamental.

“There was a click,” he said. “Last season, the coach told me I wasn’t putting enough personality in my game. I fixed that during pre-season. I showed him what I could really do.”

Behind the scenes, an unexpected figure played a major role in his emergence. “A psychologist helped me a lot. We spent time figuring out how I could express my qualities. I can clearly feel the difference now.”

It helped him develop patience — not a natural strength, he laughs. “I’m not very patient. It helped me accept things as they are — that one day my chance would come. I just had to keep working. That’s what I did.”

A Pitchoun through and through

Methalie has been at Toulouse since the age of eight, arriving from Colomiers. Extending his contract until 2030 was an emotional milestone:

“It’s like a second home for me — the academy, the club, everything. When I used to go to the Toulouse Stadium as a kid, all I wanted was to play there. The first time it happened, I had stars in my eyes. It was incredible.”

He made sure to celebrate his extension with his fellow academy players — a symbolic gesture for someone who remains deeply attached to the club’s identity. “I want every Pitchoun to have the same path as me. It makes me proud.”

Unusually for a young full-back, he says he has no footballing idols: “I don’t really get inspiration from others. I’m not like that. I just love football.”

At just 19, he is still polishing his positional awareness and passing choices, but his trajectory is unmistakable. Methalie is not simply enjoying a hot streak — he is building a foundation for a long-term role.

His goals for the season are straightforward. “Keep playing, stay injury-free, and secure a starting spot — for club and country. I dreamed of being here. I hope it continues.”

For a club that prides itself on elevating its own, Methalie is the perfect embodiment of Toulouse’s identity: fearless, expressive, relentless — a Pitchoun Dragster accelerating toward a much bigger stage.