Michael Olise: A Footballer Unlike Any Other
Michael Olise is not a conventional footballer. Born and raised in England, he is currently making a significant impact at the World Cup representing France. The Bayern Munich forward, who progressed through Reading and Crystal Palace, typically avoids the spotlight. He has a passion for chess, rarely celebrates his goals, shuns interviews, and notably does not have endorsements with any sportswear or boot companies.
After an impressive season with 25 goals and 28 assists for the Bundesliga champions, the 24-year-old is now regarded as one of the best players globally. Heading into Saturday's last-16 match against Paraguay, Olise has become the first player since Germany's Thomas Hassler in 1994 to provide five assists in a single World Cup.
Those familiar with Olise since his childhood emphasize that his reserved demeanor should not be mistaken for arrogance; it is simply "Michael being Michael."
Early Life and Sporting Beginnings
Born in London to a French-Algerian mother, Mina, and a Nigerian father, Vincent, Olise distinguished himself from a young age. Daniel Coker, Olise's sports teacher at Dr Triplett's CE Primary School in Hayes, London, recalled to :
"The sports coaches came to me one day and said have you seen this boy... in year two? When I saw him play...I knew that he was going to be something special."
Coker described how Olise, already affiliated with Chelsea at the time, excelled in every sport he tried.
"At age 10 and 11 that's when I'd get him in everything I could. He'd come and have a go and just blow us out the water with how good he was."
Even at this early stage, Olise preferred to avoid attention.
"Michael was a quiet and shy boy. He gave so many assists to our team, he'd score loads of goals, but he didn't used to celebrate, he just used to get back straight in and want to go again," said Coker.
"He's not one of those ones to dwell on it and take that moment in. He didn't like the limelight. So when I see that on camera now, when he doesn't celebrate or he runs back, it's just what he's always done."
Rachel Anderson, the headteacher, remembers how difficult it was to get Olise back into class after football, especially if his team had lost.
"He would be still kicking the ball around the classroom and it would be like, 'Come on Michael, it's enough now'."
"I think other schools used to sigh and look quite depressed when we turned up with Michael on our team for so many things [different sports] because they knew they didn't stand much of a chance.
"He was a perfectionist and over-analysed everything. He was a bright boy so he did well academically."
At this young age, Olise, who was eligible to represent England, Nigeria, or Algeria, also showed early indications that he would choose France.
"Rachel said, 'Do you reckon he'll play for England?' I said, I don't know if we'll be lucky enough to have him play for England," Coker added.
"I think Michael really enjoyed that French culture, he went there to visit, he liked learning the language."
Path to Professional Football
Michael Olise (right) made his professional debut for Reading against Leeds in the Championship in March 2019
The journey to professional football was not straightforward. Olise's younger brother Richard, aged 21, is also a professional footballer, although he was released by Chelsea this summer, similar to Michael a decade earlier.
After a brief period at Arsenal, Olise spent seven years in Chelsea's academy before being released at age 14. He then had a short stint at Manchester City, who also released him.
Reading, then competing in the Championship, became his next club. Brendan Flanagan, Reading's head of recruitment, recalled having to convince club officials to sign the 16-year-old in the summer of 2018.
"Because of the biases that go on in football, it took me a little bit longer to convince people in the building to bring him in because [he was] released from Chelsea, released from Man City - some people would see that as this is going to be a big problem," he told the BBC.
"What might have been deemed as Michael being problematic at other clubs, because he's quiet, he's shy, he's reserved, but we can work with those kids because that doesn't make them a bad kid, it just makes them a little bit different."
Flanagan feared losing Olise when his mother requested time to rebuild his confidence following the setbacks.
"She said we're going to do some work with a mentor because he's obviously low in confidence - he's been released from Chelsea, released from Man City - and we just want to make sure that when he comes in to you he's ready for you," added Flanagan.
"I thought to myself, 'That's it, end of - next time I see him he'll be playing against us somewhere'.
"Four weeks later Mina rang me to say right we're ready to go. She was true to her word - that's the kind of people they are, honest genuine people.
"He came in and we never had a single problem with him. He was without a shadow of a doubt the best player that I've ever bought into this building."
Olise was so eager to be punctual for training that he sometimes arrived early and would sleep in his car before sessions began.
"He would come in at 7 o'clock in the morning for training, that starts at 9, and be asleep in his car when training started," Flanagan said.
Olise made his Reading debut in March 2019 against Leeds at age 17, just days after joining first-team training, and went on to make 73 appearances, scoring seven goals over three seasons. It was also during this time that he received a call-up to the French youth team setup.
"It wasn't a surprise that he chose France for me because they were the ones that were first in contact with him," added Flanagan.
"In that 2001 England year group, they generally tended to come from Manchester City, Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal, Spurs - not so many from the likes of Reading.
"Michael would be one of those that say, 'Well they chose me first, you didn't want me when I was younger, so that's where I'm going to go'."
Rise Through the Premier League and Transfer Developments
Michael Olise (left) used to wear a Cristiano Ronaldo 7 kit at school - and went on to face the Portugal icon in the Premier League in 2021
At Reading, Olise had a release clause of £8 million, which Crystal Palace, then managed by French legend Patrick Vieira, activated in July 2021.
His Premier League performances with the Eagles showcased his quality, initially more as a provider, recording 19 assists and six goals in his first two seasons.
In the summer of 2023, Chelsea activated a £35 million release clause to re-sign the player they had released as a youth. However, to the surprise of many, Palace announced that Olise had signed a new contract with them instead.
His final season at Selhurst Park saw him improve his goal-scoring, netting 10 times and providing six assists in just 19 games and 14 starts, despite two separate injury spells disrupting the campaign.
At the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, Olise represented France at the Paris Olympics under manager Thierry Henry and assistant Gael Clichy.
Former France, Arsenal, and Manchester City full-back Clichy told the BBC:
"I was really hoping City could actually bring him back, because he was part of the club.
"This is where I actually started to hear about him [at City]. And when he was injury-free at Palace, I started to realise who he was, what kind of player he was.
"I finally met him just before the Olympics and now the world is discovering a player that was always there, but had his own route to get there."
Before the Olympics began, Bayern Munich announced the signing of Olise for approximately £50 million.
While clubs can refuse to release players for the Olympics, as Bayern did with his France teammate Mathys Tel, Clichy said Olise told Bayern:
"He had one wish - to finish the adventure of the Olympics."
"This is really the moment that stood out for us," added Clichy.
"Of course many other moments on the pitch did, but outside of the field a young player who is getting his first big move asking for that was something you don't really see.
"This is the moment we realised that he was a great player, but even more important he was a top man."
Olise helped France reach the Olympic final, where they were narrowly defeated by Spain in extra time.
Achievements and Playing Style
Olise has won two Bundesliga titles and a German Cup with Bayern
Since joining Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich, Olise has elevated his game and quickly secured a place in the senior French national team. Operating primarily on the right wing, he followed a season with 17 goals and 18 assists by one featuring 25 goals and 28 assists, totaling 88 goal involvements across two campaigns.
Former France striker and BBC World Cup pundit Olivier Giroud commented:
"He's working hard for the team on the pitch, he's got talent but he's a team player.
"He's so relaxed when he's coming inside on his left foot, you know what he's going to do, basically like Arjen Robben back in the day."
Many of Olise's viral moments at Bayern highlight his tendency to avoid celebrations, decline TV interviews, and display a half-hearted Bundesliga trophy lift. He is known to walk onto the pitch wearing sandals before games to assess the surface.
"It's funny to see him walk with the flip-flops on the pitch casually, but this is who he is," said Clichy.
"He's very much a casual guy who has magic in his feet and knows how to express his magic."
Olise's success has brought him unavoidable attention and sparked discussions about his potential as a Ballon d'Or contender. His prospects will improve further if he can help France secure the World Cup this summer, as he is currently one goal shy of equalling Pele's record of six assists in a single tournament.
"One day Michael could be a contender for the Ballon d'Or," Giroud said.
"If you win trophies, a Ballon d'Or will come, but I think he thinks more collectively than a selfish player, and it's his personality.
"You can see on the pitch, if he can assist, he will assist, even if he could have shot to the goal. So that's what I like. He's a playmaker, but a team player, so it makes him different, special, and he can reach the top of the top."
