When Mohamed-Ali Cho made the decision to leave Everton at 16 back in 2020 he did so with the aim of accelerating his development through playing regular first team football.
At 16 years of age, the French-born winger, who grew up in London, had spent five years in the academy system at the Toffees, having spent time prior to that as a junior at Paris Saint-Germain during a return to France to live.
Spotted playing Futsal locally in London, Cho was offered the chance to move to Merseyside and develop his game at Finch Farm, becoming part of the fabled ‘School of Science’.
In the summer of 2020, with the pandemic raging and football facing an uncertain time, Cho opted to leave Everton. While on good terms, the club couldn’t offer him the path to first team football as quickly as he would have wanted. Instead, Cho chose one of the French top tier's smaller sides, Angers SCO as his landing point.
In signing for Angers he became the second youngest player in Ligue 1 history to sign a professional contract, only edged out by current Real Madrid and France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, then at Rennes.
Dynamic style
Mohamed-Ali Cho gets the better of Marcos Alonso
The plan for Cho was for reserve team football initially, but so impressive was he that he swiftly made his way into the first-team picture, playing 21 times in his first season and 32 the next, bagging four goals. His dynamic and direct wide play, which has been compared to the likes of Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, attracted plenty of suitors, with a move to Spain’s LaLiga with Real Sociedad coming in 2022, his services commanding a near €15m fee.
Cho, who has represented England at under-16 level and France up to U21 level, is back in his native country, shining for OGC Nice in Ligue 1 and in the UEFA Europa League, with his performances last season having caught the eye of a number of clubs, with the 21-year-old having seen loose links with Liverpool appear earlier in the year.
A bold choice at 16 has seen him become a seasoned professional by 21. For Cho, born in Stains in the northern suburbs of Paris, his grounding in Ligue 1 as a senior player at such a young age has been key.
“It's a really competitive league,” said Cho, speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT.
“For me, it's very physical and I feel like it's quite underestimated. So for me personally, it's a really hard league and the league is growing. There's a lot of players, a lot of young players that are coming out of it.
“I feel like this is the perfect league for young players to come out to because there's a lot of space, and it’s physical. If you can thrive there, honestly, if you can thrive in the French league, I wouldn't say it would be easier for you in other leagues, but it will help you adapt quicker to them, I think.
“I feel like playing abroad, it's a really good option for young players because, you know, the football world is really wide. There's so many options. It's not just in England.
“I feel like for me personally, it was one of the best decisions in my young career, so it did me good. But then again, it might not do you good, I suppose it depends on the player.”
Learning from the best
David Silva in action for Manchester City
David Silva in action for Manchester City
At Sociedad, two seasons, 40 appearances and learning from the likes of Manchester City legend David Silva, as well as current Arsenal stars Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino, and a very brief crossover with Alexander Isak, have all helped with his development into one of European football’s most talked about young stars.
Said Cho: “Especially coming from a small club in France, going to Real Sociedad and seeing players like that, like David Silva, it’s just amazing.
“You just learn. You can only learn from the likes of him. You take some tips and just enjoy watching him play, because it's a joy watching him play, to be honest.
“You just keep improving, keep developing yourself as a player around these types of players.”
Cho’s five years at Everton saw him play across the age groups before his departure. And while the Toffees would have dearly loved to have had him in their group still, the need to develop in a first-team environment was important for Cho. So how does he reflect on those Everton years?
“I was 15, going to 16 and the club was in a different position than it is now,” said Cho.
“But it is just happy memories. I had a lot of fun there and I’ve still got some friends from over there. I don't regret one bit being in the Everton Academy because I learned so much. Even my education, everything overall, in a general way, I learned a lot, and it made me into who I am right now. I don't regret one bit of playing there.”
This season so far has been one largely of frustration for Cho. Having missed a chunk of pre-season and the opening weeks of the season through injury, he has only been back in contention since late September, featuring three times from the bench, twice in the Europa League, and starting the last three games, contributing an assist in each and a goal against Celta Vigo.
Nice have struggled in his absence. They were 12th with eight points from their opening seven games before putting together three straight wins upon his return to move 10th with 17 points from ten games. They have also lost their three opening games in the Europa League after exiting the UEFA Champions League qualifiers at the hands of Benfica. But the right winger remains bullish on the club’s chances this season in what is a league stacked with tough sides, not least the likes of PSG, Olympique Lyonnais, Marseille and Strasbourg.
Premier League return
Premier League Logo
“I feel like we've got the quality in the team," said Cho. “We've got the players.
“We just need to stick together. It's a long season, so we're only in October. It's going to be a long season.
“There's going to be ups, there's going to be downs. We just need to stick together, try and stay as consistent as possible and get the most wins we can because there isn't a small team in this league.
“There's a lot of teams that are doing pretty well. Like we did last season, and I think we had a pretty good season last season, we just have to try and stay consistent. I feel like the last two, three weeks or so, you know, we've been doing pretty good. We’re trying to get the rhythm back, the tactics back.
“On a personal level, I just help the team as much as I can, you know, to try and impact the team with goals, assists, try and help the team defensively as well, work as hard as possible.
“Since I've been back, I've just been enjoying football, playing, getting some game time and I feel like I've been pretty good.”
And what of the future? Cho’s immediate focus is on Nice and ensuring they get back on track domestically and in Europe this season, with Champions League qualification for next season still the aim.
But having already experienced two of Europe’s big five leagues in Ligue 1 and LaLiga by the age of 21, and having been in the system of an English top flight side for much of his formative football years, a Premier League stint holds significant appeal should the opportunity present itself in the future.
“One hundred percent (I’d like to play in the Premier League)” said Cho.
“Like I said, when I was at Everton, the English system, I loved the way it was. That's why I really enjoyed my academy time at Everton.
“The Premier League is a league that I've always loved, it's one of my favourite leagues. I always watch Premier League games and I feel like the intensity over there is unmatched.
“I'm just focused on France right now, but honestly, the Premier League is one of my favourite leagues, that's for sure.”