Mamadou Loum's hopes for the season...
Midfielder Mamadou Loum was delighted to seal his move to the Royals and is looking forward to getting to work under manager Paul Ince, with the Championship season now underway.
The Senegalese midfielder made the move to Berkshire last week, penning a season-long loan from Portuguese champions FC Porto, and has experience of playing in the top flight of Portugal and in the UEFA Champions League during his time with the Dragons.
Loum spent last season with Spanish side Alaves and made 31 appearances in La Liga, scoring in wins over Elche and Valencia, and he is looking forward to his first campaign in England.
“I am feeling good and I am very happy to be here," said Loum.
"This is a big opportunity for me, and I have come to help my team get up the table.
“I spoke with the manager who is a good coach, and he will help me improve every day in training.
“I have seen some videos on YouTube of him when he was younger when he was a player and he was very good.”
With the Championship renowned for its competitiveness, Loum is expecting to improve as a footballer in his season with the Royals.
He has joined some familiar faces in RG2 and the 25-year-old says he has been well welcomed into the squad.
“This is a big challenge and it is important to me to get this opportunity as it offers me the chance to mature, to get some more experience and to win games for this club.
“I am very happy to be here, and it helps I know some of the players like Yakou Meite.
“The dressing room has a good mentality, and ever since I arrived everybody has been helping me, which I believe is very important in football.”
Loum hopes his displays for the Royals will catch the eye of Senegal manager Aliou Cisse as he hopes to earn a spot in his country's FIFA World Cup squad this November, where they have been drawn in Group A with hosts Qatar, Ecuador and the Netherlands.
The defensive midfielder made his debut for his country in 2019 and earned a winner’s medal in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon as the Lions of Teranga beat Egypt on penalties in the final.
“The national team is very important to me and when I play well here, hopefully I get to go away with the national team this year.”
