Johaneko: “Making my Athletic debut was my lifelong goal”

Johaneko Louis-Jean spoke to the media at Lezama after making his Athletic Club first-team debut.

The full-back reflected on his first weeks under Edin Terzić, the emotion of fulfilling his dream of making his debut as a Lion and his ambitions for a season that has started in exciting fashion for him.

“Mikel told me I was going to start with the first team and I was really happy. It’s the moment everyone waits for. My family has always supported me and told me to keep working, do things well and that everything would come. I’ve done that and now the moment to make my debut has arrived. Everyone is proud, and so am I,” he said.

The debut carries special significance for Johaneko. A decade ago, he was already at Lezama for a tournament while playing in Baiona: “I was here with Mikel Santos and I remember saying, ‘Hopefully one day I’ll play for the Athletic Club first team.’ Ten years later, I’ve been able to play my first minutes at San Mames. It was my lifelong goal and now I have to keep working and doing things well.”

Johaneko's journey to the first team has not been without difficult moments. “Last year was tough because of injuries. There were also difficult moments when Girondins went down. There were a lot of full-backs and I needed to play. I went on loan to Lugo, played quite a lot and just took things day by day.”

Those experiences have helped him to be ready when his opportunity came: “You always have to be prepared. When the opportunity comes, you have to be ready. I always try to stay focused.”