Continuing from Where He Left
Moses Simon has not looked back since moving from Spanish Premiere Liga side UD Levante to pitch tents with theYellow Canaries. Last season, he was one of Nantes best performers and he’s looking to continue in that order. It therefore came as no surprise when he was recently named the club’s best player in the month of August
The Nigerian forward, Si- mon Moses put up stellar performances in Nantes’ opening Ligue I fixtures, and his efforts did not go unnoticed as has been voted as the best player in Nantes for August.
The Nigerian striker amassed 57.7 per cent of the votes to beat Alban Lafont, Nicolas Pallois, and Ludovic Blas.
A statement via the club’s website read: “With 57.65% of the votes, Moses Simon is, therefore, your Canary of the Month for the month of August.”
Moses was in scintillating form for the Yellow Canaries in August and was their major outlet upfront. The former Levante man supplied the three assists for all of Nantes’ goals in their first two games of the Ligue 1 season.
His contributions were vital as they helped the Yellow Canaries to pick a draw at Monaco and see off Metz with 2-0.
However, the 26-year-old failed to perform in the next two games against Rennes and Lyon, with Nantes falling to a 1-0 defeat in both games.
Simon continues his incredible start to the 2020-2021 French Ligue 1 for FC Nantes.
He assisted Nantes only goal in their opening day 1-1 draw against Monaco, and he followed it with two assists against Metz at the Stade de la Beaujoire.
Simon started in the attacking midfield along with Randal Kolo and Muani Ludovic Blas. The trio were outstanding and caused problems for Metz defenders all through.
He assisted his partner Randal Kolo Muani for the first goals inside opening 12 minutes.
Moses completed his brace of assists five minutes into the second half, when he set up Ludovic Blas who made it 2-0 for Antoine Kombouare’s side.
The former Levante forward played the entire minutes and was named as the man of the match.
Moses who finished last season with just five assists, now has three in two games for the season.
Meanwhile, Nantes defender Fabio has described Simon a perfect teammate. The former Manchester United player has a good understanding with Simon in the pitch and the duo were one of the top performers for Nantes last season.
They played important role in the 2-0 home win against Metz.
“Simon Moses, we get along very well on the field, I like to play with him and I think it’s reciprocal. We complement each other well,” Fabio told the club website.
Simon was voted FC Nantes Player of the Season for the 2019/2020 campaign after scooping 40 per cent of the total vote cast by the fans to be named the Canaridelasaison for the year.
Simon has enjoyed his best season with Nantes since moving to Europe as he finished as the club’s top scorer with nine goals in 2020, he recorded eight assists which is the highest by any player in the French Lig 1 and also bagged one hattrick to his name.
Simon arrived at the club penultimate summer on loan from Spanish Premiere Liga side UD Levante and the former Gent man has proven to be an instant hit at the club, which has encouraged Nantes to be interested in taking up the option that allows them to sign the player permanently for €5 million in the Summer.
The 24-year-old made 30 appearances for the French side in the last campaign scoring nine goals and registered eight assists.
“It can only be God. I became the Player of the Season in FC Nantes a traditional club. I am so excited it gives me a sense of recognition in my career,” he had said.
Life for Simon in Spain was far from rosy as he failed to establish himself in Levante’s starting 11. He then decided to take his trade to French Ligue 1 side, Nantes, and the move has proved to be a success story.
The 24-year-old had been impressive since joining FC Nante on loan from Spanish side, Levante.
Simon revealed he is thoroughly enjoying a new lease of life in France.
“I am more relaxed and settled at Nantes, no pressure. I am also playing to my full potentials because here I am a very offensive winger,” he explained.
“At Levante, I had to fall back to help out in the defence. Now, I am a winger in a 4-3-3 formation as against the 3-5-2 we played in Spain. And so, the goals and assists are coming now.”
Simon is however optimistic his current scoring form for FC Nantes will continue with the Super Eagles.
“It’s been an amazing season for me so far here in France; the team is doing well and I hope to also take the same form to the national team,” Simon said.
Simon moved to Levante UD for about five million Euros, which is a figure far from the 20 million Euros a top official had predicted KAA Gent will eventually sell him.
Gent sports director Michel Louwagie proudly predicted that his club would break transfer records when they eventually sell the Nigerian winger after they bought him from Slovak club AS Trencin for 650,000 Euros in January 2015.
“The transfer record in Belgium will have to be shattered when we sell Moses. We will be talking of about 20 million Euros,” Louwagie had predicted. The prediction was prompted by the fact that Moses was an instant sensation in Belgium.
But the player will go on to suffer injuries and lack of consistency for such huge hope not to be fulfilled in the three and a half seasons he was there.
Altogether, he scored 21 goals and provided 18 assists in 136 appearances for ‘The Buffaloes’.
He won the Belgian league with Gent in his first season after his transfer from Slovak club AS Trencin.
KAA Gent paid glowing tributes to Simon after the player secured a move to Spanish club, Levante.
“He leaves the club with his head up and will forever belong to the select group of players who won the first league title in the history for our club and then became part of an historic Champions League campaign stamped in the collective Belgian football memory. The following season, he was also a member of the group of players that beat Tottenham at Wembley in the Europa League,” the club said in its official website then.
Simon had his first call-up to the Nigeria national team by Coach Daniel Amokachi in March 2015 and made his debut on the 25th of the same month in an international friendly against Uganda, when he replaced Anthony Ujah.
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