After the conclusion of the Redmen’s 2012 outdoor season, the McGill Tribune met with graduating centre-back Alexis Pradié.  Last week, the Marseille native earned CIS First Team All-Star status for the second time in two years. Pradié, who’s leaving McGill with a MBA in April, comments on soccer, school, and what it means to be a Redmen.

McGill Tribune: The South of France is a very popular tourist destination for North Americans. Do you notice its mystique? Or does it just feel like home? 

Alexis Pradié: It is a very touristy area, but we don’t really pay attention to that. When you’re in your day-to-day life you don’t really see anything … But the soccer team is a very big influence, and every kid wants to grow up [to be] one of the stars. Regardless of whether you come from a rich neighbourhood or a slum, everyone plays soccer and dreams of becoming a [soccer] star.

MT: What was your career like in France?

AP: I started playing in the [Marseille youth] academy when I was 12, and [stayed with it] through the years. I graduated from high school when I was 17, and then dedicated my life to playing soccer. I played there for three years from that point, between the reserve and professional team for Marseille … meaning I travelled to Russia and to England to play with the team. It was a lot of fun, but it’s a very difficult environment. Then I ran into some injuries when I turned 20, and couldn’t play for six months. It kind of puts things into perspective, makes you think what your life is going to be like if you get injured again. So at that point, I just decided to focus on my studies as well.

MT: How was your first professional game?

AP: It was fun, playing in front of 45,000 fans against Paris. We [tied] and I played well. Paris was a very big team at the time, so everyone thought we were going to get hammered, [but] we ended up drawing 0-0.

MT: Was injury the major reason you decided to come to North America?

AP: The injury and also the whole context and environment. In order to make it, you have to be lucky and you have to be good. I’m going to stay polite, but you have to play the system.

MT: Where did you first play in North America?

AP: I started in Florida when I was 20. [I] stayed there for four years, got my undergraduate [degree] in business, and came to Montreal last year. I couldn’t play in the NCAA because I was ineligible [because I played] professionally, so I went to a small university [in Florida].

MT: What was the experience like training in the MLS?

AP: When I finished my undergrad, I was drafted to Dallas. I went there for pre-season in January and stayed with the team for a month. At that point, I had the option to stay with them, or continue to McGill. It was the same situation that I had in France. ‘Are you going to go for a professional career, or are you going for an education?’ McGill was such a good opportunity, very prestigious. I couldn’t let it go; and I had basically turned the page on [my] professional [career] in France.

MT: Can you describe your time as a Redmen?

AP: Very good experience. Different from what I’ve seen in Europe, obviously, and the U.S. as well. The players are very young, like 17 or 18, so at the beginning, the level is lower. But they are also very eager to learn, and the two years I’ve been here, there have been two great groups of guys.

MT: How were you able to balance the different dynamics with the age differences?

AP: I tried to come very open-minded, and learn from the environment I was in. It takes a bit of time, but once you can prove yourself, people respect it and see you can bring something to the table … and of course, I listened to the other guys and learned something new too. It’s a give-and-take scenario, and it went very well. I was very happy.

MT: Last year you went to Nationals and this year you missed the playoffs. Was there any disappointment, or was it simply two different years with different goals?

AP: That’s a tough question because last year was a lot of fun: we were winning, but the style of play wasn’t very pretty. I wasn’t used to that. This year was fun to play when we were on the field, but we weren’t getting any results, which is tough. So a mix of the two seasons would have been nice.

MT: What would be your message to the 15 returning rookies? 

AP: Maintain the Redmen tradition, and the work ethic we’ve been trying to keep up this year. There is a lot of talent, but we need to keep the mentality of winning and giving a full effort. That’s very important.

MT: Is your career definitely over?

AP: Yeah, I think so. But I’ll play [for fun] for sure. It was hard when I was younger, realizing you either have it or you don’t. It’s not something you can fight against … In my case, I realized I could be a decent player, but that’s not what I wanted; I wanted to be a good player. Accepting that fact, and putting studies before [the sport] was my decision, and now it’s no problem. Now I’m playing for fun, and with guys I love. It’s very enjoyable.