Felda striker Bulot has his mind on Fighters, not Gunners’ star

When Felda United signed Frederic Bulot for the new season, many fans found out that he was Arsenal star Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang’s strike partner in the Gabon national team.

For any player, partnering one of the world’s top poachers is an enticing prospect, but for Bulot, Aubameyang is not the only exceptional talent he has played with.

The 29-year-old, who used to play for English club Charlton Atheltic, said he has played in many leagues around the world, and even called himself a nomad.

From France to Japan, he has met players from all walks of life and cherishes every meeting.

He said that instead of talking about one player, he prefers to learn one or two aspects of each player he has played with since making his professional debut in 2010 in Ligue 1 club AS Monaco.

“I know a lot of players in the Malaysian League, including the fans, have spoken about me playing with Auba. For me, this is not something exceptional,” said the charismatic Bulot.

“I understand that some see it as an out-of-this-world experience, but where I come from, I have played with and against many stars of football, not only Auba.

“For me, what matters is being close with all my teammates wherever I am. Now, I want to be close with the players in Felda.

“Only unity can bring us forward, and I am working on building my chemistry with the boys in Felda.”

Bulot, who also played for Belgian Jupiler League club Standard Liege, has played in all four matches in the Super League and impressed with his workrate and vision in midfield.

His ability to build up plays with Felda team-mates like Ryutaro Megumi, Khairul Amri and Nicolas Velez has been lauded by some fans.

One example of that chemistry was their equalising goal in their surprise 1-1 draw against high-flying JDT at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium when he finished off a brilliant movement between Megumi and Velez.

“My experience here has been okay so far, and I hope it gets better.

“I came here because of the challenge, and I like it so far.”

Bulot, who can also play as a winger or striker, praised coach Nidzam Jamil as someone who can bring out the best in any player with his motivational skills.

“He is a young coach who can bring you out of any rut. He is a player’s coach and someone who understands all our needs and wants.

“Tactically, he is also smart, and you can see the way he alters his formations during games. He always takes feedback from us, and we really love that.”

Once the movement control order (MCO) is over, Bulot is hopeful he would not only be known as the player who partnered Aubameyang in the Gabon national team but the one who brought success to a club that will always be known as ‘The Fighters’.