HANNIBAL: "WE ALL LOVE TO SCORE AND ASSIST BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS THE TEAM WINS"

Hannibal Mejbri spoke in his first interview since signing on loan signing from Manchester United. The French-born Tunisian international spoke about his hopes for the move at an important stage in his career. "I had long discussions with clubs, with my family and my agent. I like the project of Sevilla and I think I can help Sevilla to improve and hopefully, we can progress together and really achieve something in the rest of the season." Hannibal is ready to play as soon as possible: "I've played eleven games but I've trained a lot with the physio and the staff in Manchester. So I'm feeling ready. I'm ready to play whenever the manager wants and I'm feeling good, not just semi-good. I'm injury-free. Hopefully, it's going to keep going like this." Although aged only 20 his experience at major clubs reflects his maturity. "I started very early at Monaco and joined Manchester United. I had to get used to English football, and English weather. I progressed a lot around big names, big players. I went on loan last season at Birmingham. That's where I had most of my career minutes. I've also played with Tunisia, I went to the World Cup and this season with Manchester United I've had eleven games, in which I think I have done well." 

Aged 18 he made his first team debut for the Red Devils: "That season was really hard for me because I was working a lot. The first team were doing really good and it's really hard for young players to come through when the team is playing well. I had my chance at the end of the season and I took it. It was a reward. It was a chance, an opportunity for me to do good. I played and really enjoyed the pressure." His main aim now is to play: "I can help everywhere because as a football player, the most important is to play and that's what I like, I like playing. I would play anywhere but I prefer to play as a number ten or eight in the midfield but I can help everywhere so I'm happy if I'm on the pitch." 

"The most important think is to attack and defender" 

Last season he was on loan at Birmingham City in the Championship: "The experience was very good.  I met a lot of good people there. The fans were really nice to me. The manager was nice as well. Everyone was nice. It was comfortable to play and it was a family club and I think I progressed a lot. I had a lot of game time. It was quite difficult with the level but I think at the end of the day I progressed a lot and I have to thank them a lot." On Sunday he turns 21 and it could be a special debut for Hannibal. "It's going to be really nice because we're playing against a strong team. Hopefully, I can make my debut and it will be a good present and even better if we win and come back with the three points. Although there are lots of French-speaking players he is already keen to start learning Spanish: "It's true that there are a lot of French people in the club and a lot of people speak French, but we have to be as a team. So that's why I'm trying to learn Spanish as well, to speak with everyone. It helps when someone speaks French or English because it's a bit hard when you come to a new country and you don't speak the language. But we are all making efforts to learn Spanish and hopefully in two months I can 'hablar español'." 

We have faced off against Manchester United a number of times over the past few years and Hannibal remembers watching those games and the impact the fans had: "I wasn't involved, but I watched the games and I could see the quality in the club. I could see the fans. When they played at Sevilla, it was crazy. And just before I joined here, the players at United told me about the fans. They told me the atmosphere was really crazy. It's always nice to play for a team who have good fans because it helps you when you are in difficult moments. I've heard a lot about them so yeah I can't wait to see them, play for them and hopefully they can like me as much as I like them."