Axel Dodote turns professional!

Originally from Noisiel, a small village in Seine-et-Marne, Axel Dodote signed his first license at the age of five with Noisiel FC before joining US Torcy. Renowned for the quality of its youth training, the club quickly recognized the young boy's talents, and he was regularly used as a defensive midfielder. His potential was also noticed by AS Saint-Étienne, which signed him in 2019, following in the footsteps of other Torcy players who had moved to Forez, such as Mathis Amougou.

In 2020, Axel Dodote joined the Pôle Espoirs de Reims for two years of training alongside the best players of his 2007 generation. This was a taste of his new life at ASSE, which began in the summer of 2022. From his first season in green, the new Saint-Étienne player alternated between Kévin De Jesus' U16 team and the U17 National team, then coached by Patrick Moreau. Regularly used as a midfielder, he eventually found himself repositioned in a more defensive role. Although he played in U19N matches the following season, he was mainly part of the U17N team that qualified for the playoffs and was notably a starter in the championship semi-final in Amiens under Frédéric Dugand. 

Although the following season got off to a bad start for Axel Dodote, who suffered a serious shoulder injury in his first U19 National match, the central defender eventually returned to the pitch without losing any of his skills. He joined Sylvain Gibert's reserve team and played mainly in National 3. His strong performances earned him a well-deserved reward: selection for the French national team. Since his first call-up last June, the Vert has now made nine appearances for the U18 and U19 teams.

Aged 18, and recently called up to the professional squad for the league trip to Troyes, Axel Dodote is now a professional player. The defender is tied to ASSE until 2028.

Axel Dodote: "I am very happy to sign my first professional contract and to have shared this with my family. I am also thinking of my father, who must be proud of me wherever he is. It's a dream when you arrive at the training center, and then it becomes a goal. Even though I have achieved this goal, I still have to become a true professional. To do that, I have to prove myself if I want to play at Geoffroy-Guichard. I've already done that, but in a friendly match without spectators, so it doesn't count."

Loïc Perrin, Sporting Director of AS Saint-Étienne: "Axel is a modern, fast center back with very interesting athletic potential for his age. He needs to work on his consistency and reliability, which are so sought after by coaches. He is young and aware of his potential, but also his weaknesses. Now we need to develop him, get him training and playing regularly. That's what he's doing at the moment, with the reserve team, the professional team and also the national team. He's taking steps forward, but there are still many more to come."