PROFILE | Ainsley Maitland-Niles thriving after finding a 'home' at Lyon
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Initially, after swapping London for Lyon, Ainsley Maitland-Niles didn’t look quite at home in France. The language barrier, being away from family, and competition for regular minutes appeared to create a perfect storm as the versatile Englishman struggled to adapt to life in Ligue 1. However, in 2024, the former Arsenal defender appears to be right at home under the management of Pierre Sage.
Feeling at "home" at OL is something the 27-year-old has openly admitted himself, "I don't really feel lost here any more. I feel at home, I have from quite early on, and I don't really miss England, to be honest." Lost is a feeling that any player would likely feel after struggling to win a match and facing increasing pressure to avoid a relegation battle like Lyon and their players were at the turn of the year.
When he first arrived, the defender struggled for regular minutes and was having to battle with fellow summer signing Clinton Mata at right back. Deemed as a more attacking option, a more defensive option was seen as more appropriate by Laurent Blanc and Fabio Grosso given the Rhône club's precarious situation. Nevertheless, Sage trusted him and built up his confidence allowing him to cement a regular place in the team. This was aided by the former Red Star coach's experimentation by playing Mata as a centre-back.
Maitland-Niles improves attacking stats
In the second half of last season, Maitland-Niles became a regular starter and a reliable figure for Les Gones. His ability to make the difference in the final third proved fruitful, creating four goals in the second half of the season during Lyon's dramatic uplift in form and league position as they qualified for the Europa League and reached the Coupe de France final.
After a string of consistent performances at the back end of last season, the former England international has continued in a similar vein this term. Down the right flank, he has formed a good understanding with Rayan Cherki. As the playmaker likes to drift inside with the ball, this allows the right back to push on and pick up more advanced positions with overlapping runs. Maitland-Niles can often be seen joining attacks as an extra man despite being a defender. Increased attacking duties have proved fruitful with the former Southampton loanee scoring a goal and assisting a further four in 21 appearances across all competitions.
