Yet while it is true that he covers the whole pitch, striding through Freddie Kanouté-style to score, as he did against Atlético Madrid, or dropping deep to protect the defence, that is not it; that is not why they want him. When N’Zonzi is seen between the centre-backs it is usually the start of a move, not the end of one; his game is construction, not destruction. His body deceives, insists Sevilla’s sporting director, Ramón “Monchi” Rodríguez. Now at last everyone sees it.
“Steven’s a player who has to continually fight against his appearance,” Monchi says. “His profile’s that of an eminently physical player, fight and strength, when although it’s true he has those qualities his principle characteristic is his use of the ball and technical quality. That’s why we signed him and where he makes the difference.” No one in Spain has completed more passes; in Europe only Marco Verratti, Thiago Alcantara, Julian Weigl, and David Alaba have.
“I know myself better than anyone and it was harder to adapt to a team coached by Allardyce or Pulis, because my game when I grew up in France was not a physical game. I was skinny, I was not a player who would tackle and stuff like this, so I had to improve and work a lot. Everyone has always seen me in that type of team and they think because I’m tall it was more my kind of play. But I think I was always more of a passing player,” he says.