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‘It was hard to leave my parents’ – Brighton’s Yves Bissouma reflects on journey to stardom

The youngster has become one of the promising midfielders in the division and explained how he battled unfavourable conditions to thrive in Europe

Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma has reflected on his journey from Cote d’Ivoire to the Premier League.

The 22-year-old, who will be expected to be on parade when his side face Manchester City in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final, left his country of birth Ivory Coast at 13 to join Jean-Marc Guillou’s academy in Mali.

The Mali international progressed rapidly and in 2016, four months after arriving at Lille from AS Real Bamako, he signed his first professional contract with the French side.