When you’re a young player, playing games is probably the most important step in the process of becoming an everyday professional.
Impact goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau will get those games this season as he is expected to be the number one for the club’s new USL Pro side. In preparation for his 2015 campaign, he is currently in Germany on a training stint with the Fortuna Düsseldorf U23 side.
“I decided to look for a good training opportunity in Europe to get a step up on training camp (kicks off on January 23),” explained the native from Candiac. “I heard really good things from my friend Samuel Piette [Canadian international and former Fortuna player], so I headed over here to get the feel of the ball again and start training.”
“Max is a young player who has been part of the organization for a number of years,” explained Impact head coach and director of player personnel Frank Klopas. “This experience in Germany can help him in his development and broaden his experience.”
The training stint is expected to last almost 10 days (January 7 to 15). From day one, things were pretty intense.
“After arriving on Wednesday, we trained at 5pm. The following day, we were on the pitch twice. The morning session focused on finishing and then the evening session was interval running,” added Crépeau. “The training sessions are very intense. They were on break for two and a half weeks because of the holidays, so it feels like a preseason training camp.”
Despite the intense training schedule and the different style of football, some of the challenges that the Impact’s number 40 will face while in Deutschland will come outside of soccer.
“The coaches explain everything to me in English after it’s done the first time in German. A few of the players speak English, so that helps, but the language on the pitch is German. Despite the language differences, the players and coaches have been very welcoming.”
For Crépeau, these challenges can only make him a better player.
“I came here to add some tools to my toolbox. A European soccer experience can only be beneficial. In addition, you see other cultures and mentalities and you learn from this. It allows for me to better understand and help assimilate some of those players who come from abroad to play in Montreal. I expect to return to Montreal in top form for the start of camp.”
