‘I needed to get all this frustration out’ – Guillaume Restes, Toulouse’s bright spark in mixed season was not always destined for football

The results have not always been promising for Toulouse FC in a season where they have put their trust almost exclusively in youth , but Guillaume Restes (19) has shown the benefits that can follow when implementing this strategy. 

Restes had not started a game for Toulouse before this campaign but has smoothly made the transition from a highly gifted academy prospect into the team’s undisputed starting goalkeeper, having played every single Ligue 1 and Europa League fixture, as the club finds itself 11th in the league and only four points of the relegation playoff spot. 

It’s clear that he has developed enormously due to the amount of time and responsibility that has been afforded to him this season, and in a new environment that pushes young players to the forefront, Restes could eventually become the figurehead of what Toulouse hope to build towards. 

However, while it seems obvious now, it was not always clear that Restes would become a footballer. Growing up in a family where his mother worked for the French Tennis Federation and his father taught lessons in the sport, it seemed as if he was more suited for the racket rather than the gloves. 

Speaking to L’Équipe , Restes explains that he only chose football over tennis when he was 11. “ I couldn’t control my emotions when I was little. Tennis was really too complicated for that. It’s even harder than football. I could break a racket and win the match afterwards. I needed to get all this frustration out . In football, I liked diving, jumping everywhere, helping the team win, saving penalties .” 

Still, there were lessons that Restes took from tennis that he would later use to shape him as a goalkeeper, “ Tennis taught me a lot of things because it’s an individual