Alongside Jean-Pierre Rivère and Julien Fournier, the new Gym midfielder spoke about his ambitions and his thoughts on the club.

Five years after his departure from Marseille, Mario Lemina is back in Nice in a league he knows well: "I have always been in contact with Julien Fournier (Director of Football) and I think it was the right time for me to come to Nice. The coach (Christophe Galtier) was also very important in my choice. The club's project suits me, even especially in a crucial moment in my career. I am very happy to be here and part of this project."

After spending time in Italy, England and Turkey, the midfielder has changed as he explained on Tuesday: "All of these experiences have made me mature and have allowed me to learn different languages. I’m now coming back to France with a lot of experience. But he doesn’t consider himself a leader yet: "It's too early to talk about that. But on the other hand, it's also the moment to show that I've matured and that I'm no longer the young Mario who's a bit fiery and not always focused as you saw in Marseille. It's up to me and the other leaders in the team to push the younger players in the group to the top."

After taking part in his first team session on Tuesday morning, Mario Lemina also gave his view on OGC Nice and its evolution. A club that the Gabonese international (19 caps) has played against several times with Lorient and Marseille: "I have always seen OGC Nice as a very good club that produces very good players. I am very confident in my choice. They play beautiful football and they’ve also managed to get some players back to their best. For me it is a very important club that is a big part of Ligue 1. In training, I have already seen some great things, some great players and I have also watched the club's friendlies. We have a very good group."

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