Benjamin André

About

Benjamin Michel Édouard André (born 3 August 1990) is a French professional footballer who plays for and captains Ligue 1 club Lille. He plays as either a central or defensive midfielder.

André was with the Corsica-based club Ajaccio since he was 16 years old, joining the club as an academy player after arriving from his hometown of Nice in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. After gaining notice playing on the club’s under-18 side, he was promoted to the senior squad for the 2008–09 season, despite being only 17 years old at the time of the promotion. André appeared sparingly early on in the season making his debut on 22 August 2008 against Sedan appearing as a substitute in a 1–1 draw. He earned his first start in a Coupe de France match on 22 November 2008 against amateur side Bagnols Pont playing 120 minutes. The match went into a penalty shootout with the young André converting Ajaccio’s final shootout goal ensuring the club’s advancement to the next round.
Five days later, he made his first league start in a 2–0 defeat to Boulogne. Throughout the season, his starts increased and, despite Ajaccio’s inconsistent play, became an instant revelation helping…