The Funny Anecdote of Olise in His Early Days
Michael Olise has become one of the best players in the world. His level is so high that he is already among the names considered for the Ballon d’Or and has become a key piece for the French national team, which dreams of winning its third World Cup.
But before the spotlight, the big stages, and the European nights, there was a much simpler and even amusing phase in his early career. An anecdote revealed on the Bolzplatz program on ZDF showed a little-known side of the Frenchman when he was just starting his professional journey.
A Very Peculiar Routine at Reading
Mark Bowen, who worked with him at Reading, recalled what Michael Olise’s routine was like during those early years. The midfielder made his debut with the club in 2019 and, at that time, was still living with his family in London. To reach The Royals’ training ground, he had to deal with heavy traffic that could complicate any morning.
To avoid being late, Michael Olise decided to get ahead of the chaos. “He would leave around 5:30 in the morning to make sure he wasn’t late for training,” Mark Bowen recalled. However, the plan had a small problem: he was arriving far too early.
Training at Reading started at 9 a.m., and while his teammates were already out on the pitch, they often wondered why Olise wasn’t there. The answer was in the parking lot.
Mark Bowen would laugh as he explained that the young Frenchman used the extra time to sleep inside his car. “He shows up late, but while all of you are still asleep, he’s already in the team parking lot,” the coach would say. On more than one occasion, they had to knock on his window to wake him up and keep him from sleeping through training.
With Reading, he spent three seasons in the Championship, playing 73 matches and scoring 7 goals. His talent caught the attention of Crystal Palace, where he fully established himself in the Premier League. Then came Bayern, where he truly exploded into a global star.
Fortunately, they always woke him up on time. Otherwise, football might have missed out on one of the most special talents of this generation.
