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Maxence Lacroix’s mother is a doctor and his father a nurse, and yet there is just no curing some ailments, whoever you are.
“I think she's more stressed than me, right now,” Lacroix jokes. But those nerves are not about to just go away.
Lacroix’s parents gave up a lot for him to pursue his dream, juggling their professions with his blossoming youth football career, eventually allowing him to leave home at 13 to study at a football boarding school in Bordeaux.
In Thenon, a quaint village in the Dordogne, there is a stadium named after the 25-year-old Crystal Palace centre-back. Plastered across the walls of his mother’s doctor’s surgery are photos of Lacroix playing for Sochaux and for France’s Under-20s.
On Saturday, Lacroix takes to the Wembley turf for the first time, contests a major semi-final for the first time in his career. A large congregation will be there — he had to fight hard for so many tickets — and among them will be his parents.
Lacroix once said that he speaks to his mother, Corinne, on the phone almost every day. Asked whether that remains the case, he grins and says: “If I don't speak with her, I'm in trouble! No, of course I speak with her lots.
“For her, it's also the first time in Wembley, the first time to see her son in a semi-final. But I think it's really good for a mother or father to see their son running his dream and playing this type of game, because she knew it was difficult before.”
Palace face Aston Villa on Saturday in the sixth FA Cup semi-final in their history. The Eagles, as supporters are all too aware, are still awaiting their first major silverware. Under Oliver Glasner, with this talented young side, might this be their year?
“I spoke with Wardy [Joel Ward] and he told me he lost the final [in 2016],” Lacroix states. “I hope this year is going to be different. Everyone knows we have the guns to win the FA Cup and we'll give everything to. We can beat anyone.”
Of the traditional ‘Big Six’ clubs, only Manchester City (who face Nottingham Forest in the other semi-final) were still in the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage. The big boys went out early this year, opening up space for the likes of Palace, but Lacroix — not eight months into life in England — says: “There’s one thing I understand with the Premier League: everyone can beat everyone. I'm not surprised to see some teams like us in the last four.”
Lacroix took a little while to bed in at Palace after his August move from Wolfsburg. Glasner had also coached him there and admitted as much himself. But it has not taken long for the Frenchman to form a formidable centre-back trio with Chris Richards to one side and Marc Guehi the other. He notes they are US and England internationals, respectively, and admits senior football for France remains a career ambition.
Once upon a time, so was moving to England. When he left Sochaux for Wolfsburg at the age of 20 in 2020, he taught himself English at the same time as learning German.
“To be honest, when I came here, it was because I wanted to see the Premier League. I wanted to see what's happening here.
“It's just two games and you can win a trophy. This is exciting. I look forward to winning this trophy. It's going to be beautiful for this Palace team.
“To be in the Premier League is a grace for me. To win a trophy, even better. We have a lot of people who want to see this team win because it's not only the club. It's also this team, because we’ve invested a lot.”
They must invest yet more if they are to make it past Unai Emery’s outstanding Villa side, who have beaten Paris Saint-Germain and thrashed Newcastle 4-1 just in the last 10 days.
“When you're a football player, you want to play against the best players,” Lacroix insists. “Especially for a defender, this will be a good fight. We know our qualities and this is the most important thing. I'm not afraid. We will just prepare for this game and win it.”
Palace will be guided all the way by a manager who “takes the best of you”, according to Lacroix. He knows Glasner better than most.
“He can make a normal player into a good player because he helps you to give everything you have. He has a lot of players, but he takes the best of all of them. He is the right man for the situation.”
I'm not afraid. We will just prepare for this game and win it.
Having played the full 90 minutes in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at Arsenal, Lacroix has been preparing for Saturday like usual, his recovery aided by his Leeds-supporting personal fitness coach. “He takes care of everything like physio, nutrition, how I sleep, when I train also, some small adjustments.”
He maintains he has always possessed natural leadership skills and dubs himself “the pastor of this team”.
“I speak a lot about Jesus, and I try to give my testimony,” the Frenchman explains. “We have a lot of Christians in this team. Before games we come and we put this game into the hands of God. I don't lead this, it's everyone. But I want to say I know a lot about the Bible. I try my best to spread the word.”
Palace’s players know they will be heroes if they can reach next month’s FA Cup final. In two previous finals (1990 and 2016), the Eagles were beaten by Manchester United on both occasions. No chance of that this time - United are long out.
“I heard there's going to be, like, 35,000 or 40,000 [Palace] fans,” Lacroix smiles.
“It's going to be hard for us against Villa, but they [the fans] will give us a new energy when it's difficult on the pitch. When you hear them, they push you. You want to give everything for them. If we win, I think Wembley will shake.”
