Once a highly-rated French youth international, Yann Ekra’s journey has taken him from Lyon to the US via Hull City.
Once one of the most promising young players in the much-esteemed Lyon youth academy, Yann Ekra was capped by France at a number of youth levels. Roommates with Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema, Ekra had the likes of Benzema, Hatem Ben-Arfa and Alexandre Lacazette as teammates in Lyon’s youth ranks, as well as Mamadou Sakho, Yacine Brahimi and Yann M’Vila at international level.
Part of a crop of fine young French players, the future was bright for Ekra, who spent almost 6 years as a junior at Lyon before getting a ‘dream’ move to the Premier League at the age of 17. But as Ekra told us himself, it is not always the most talented players who ‘make it’, and he failed to register a first team appearance with his next 3 clubs; Hull, Panionios and Châteauroux.
Aged 21 and recently released by then Ligue 1 side Châteauroux following a knee injury, Ekra headed over the the United States to see his in-laws. Looking to improve his fitness, the youngster attended an open tryout for USL side Harrisburg City Islanders. Five years on and Ekra is still in the States. We spoke to the 26-year-old about his life, experiences, regrets and aspirations.
Yann Ekra in action for Charlotte Independence
Ivorian-born but raised in France, Ekra reflects positively on his time at Lyon where he started his career. Regulars in the latter stages of the Champions League during his time with the club, the Lyon team Ekra trained with was one of immense quality.
“They [players like Juninho, Ben-Arfa and Abidal] were really impressive. It just makes you want to work harder to be at their level. That was probably the best Lyon team, all you can do is watch and learn.
Juninho is the best! You’d watch him in training, I once saw him score seven free-kicks in a row from every distance. He’d say, ‘I’ll make the ball bounce x amount of times before reaching the goalkeeper this time’, but it was all about the hard work he put in.”
Ekra’s former teammate and free kick maestro Juninho
Talking of his former roommate Karim Benzema, Ekra said, “We lived together for three or four years, sleeping in the academy. France is not like England, everyone sleeps in the same building.”
“He always had quality, he was a very good finisher. When he was 15, Lyon didn’t want to keep him, but at 16 he met a new coach, one of the best coaches in France. He said ‘keep him for a year, see how it goes’. That year I think he scored 35 goals, a record for a player in the Lyon youth team. He was always a hard worker, he believed in himself and he always wanted to play for Real Madrid. We kept in touch until my move to America but it is difficult now.”
With regards to the young players Ekra played with, there are a plethora who have made it to the very top. When asked to recount some of the young players he played alongside, Ekra racked off a list the length of his arm, all full internationals, but there is one name that sticks out.
Ekra describes Hatem Ben Arfa as “incredible”
“The best [played I ever played with] is hard. Against I would say Hazard at Lille. Played with… Ben-Arfa impressed me the most. He is the best player I saw. He should have done better, you have what you deserve. For me his potential should have won a Ballon d’Or, he has incredible talent, the problem was his mentality.
You need to always want to be better. At twelve or thirteen he had his own TV show, he was already a star. It makes it harder to motivate yourself. He has still had an incredible career, he is at PSG, one of the best clubs in the world, and he still has more years left.”
Reflecting on his time in the Premier League with Hull City, Ekra said it was “every players dream” to play in England’s top flight, and after a couple of months training with Phil Brown’s squad, he joined the Tigers at the age of 17.
Yann Ekra during his time at Hull City
“It was my first taste of English football, I had never played but I’d watched on TV. It was Hull’s first time in the Premier League so the atmosphere and the fans were very good, everyone was talking about football.”
“When I joined I was 17, I knew I had to adapt more to English football in the reserves. After that I wanted to be more involved with the first team, but we were a new team and had to be play it safe, so I think more experience was preferred to young players. The quality was good. Players like Geovanni and Bullard were quality.”
Despite arriving in the UK’s 2017 City of Culture with real promise, Ekra failed to make a first team appearance for the club, a fact he puts down to an array of factors, “I think it was the different style of play and it was hard for me aged 17 in a different country far from my family. Nicky Featherstone helped me but it was hard for me.”
Ekra still keeps in touch with Nicky Featherstone, now at Hartlepool United
When asked if he had any regrets, Ekra returned to his time at Hull, “I think in Hull, I regret that part. Like Ben-Arfa, I didn’t do everything I could, I was not always working hard, I was too young I think. Training and not wanting to be there. I had the chance but I didn’t take it.”
Despite his frankness with regards to his effort levels at Hull, the forward’s departure still came as a surprise to him, “I was surprised to leave Hull. It was the end of the season, I felt really good and the reserve team coach trusted me. But my contract finished and the club just said nothing, I didn’t understand.”
From Hull, Ekra headed to France, where he spent 2 years at Ligue 2 side Châteauroux, but once more failed to register a first team appearance, struggling to regain his fitness and struggling with a knee injury.
It was at this time that he flew to America to see his in-laws, a trip that would go on to change the course of his career. “I was recovering from my injury, I wanted to practice and get fit before going back to Europe. The team said I could train but I didn’t expect to stay, I didn’t know much about American football [soccer], I’d never watched it, it was all about Europe. I trained for a week, the coach liked me and offered me a six-month contract. I decided to move and my family came with me which made it a lot easier.”
Having impressed for Harrisburg, Ekra was snapped up midseason by MLS side Philadelphia Union, where he found out that contracts in US soccer differ from those in Europe.
Ekra training with MLS side Philadelphia Union
“I signed a three-year deal, so I thought I’d be there three years. I did good in training, we were fighting for the play-offs so the coach told me to be patient. I was happy, I came in for pre-season first or second day and they told me they’d let me go!
I feel I deserved more of a chance. Here it is very different to Europe. In MLS [there’s] no guaranteed contract, any time they can get rid of you. I didn’t realise that when I signed.”
Now aged 26, following his failed spell with Philadelphia Union, Ekra returned to Harrisburg, before making the switch to divisional rivals and his current club Charlotte Independence. Once a nippy striker or wide forward, he is now playing a starring role as a box-to-box midfielder.
“It’s funny because when I was in Hull, Geovanni told me he thought I was a midfielder not a striker. I laughed but he was right! I don’t keep in touch with him but I still talk to Nicky Featherstone and I follow the careers of a few others like Tom Cairney.”
Hull City favourite Geovanni predicted Ekra’s positional switch years ago
Despite his obvious frustrations, particularly aimed at his younger self, Ekra doesn’t come across as remotely bitter. One is drawn to his observation that ‘You have what you deserve’ in football, and whilst he concedes choices like agents and other such aspects can influence careers, not once does he attempt to divert blame.
When quizzed about his current aspirations, the 26-year-old would clearly love another stab at making it in the top flight, whether that be in Europe or the U.S., but seems at home in Charlotte.
“Right now I’m really happy where I am. If an opportunity comes in the MLS or Europe it will be interesting, but I’m in a good environment right now.”
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