‘When you’re with me, you’re not bored’ – Malard bringing sunshine to Man UtdMedia caption, Melvine Malard: From Reunion to ManchesterByAdwaidh RajanBBC Sport journalistPublished51 minutes agoA training session on a typical Manchester morning can be a gloomy affair. With the sky hanging low and rain always a threat, it is a far cry from the sunshine Melvine Malard grew up with 6,000 miles away on the tiny island of Reunion.But the moment the France forward walks into Carrington, any hint of cloud shifts.Malard has quickly become a cult figure at Manchester United, not just for her impact on the pitch but for the infectious energy she has brought since first arriving at the club on loan in 2023.
“I think I change the energy here,” Malard tells BBC Sport.
“I like to enjoy football. I like to play free. Football is work but firstly it is the passion and the fans. I think they understand my energy and my vibes.”
The 25-year-old’s level of enthusiasm is something her team-mates have had to adjust to.
“Sometimes I come to the meeting and scream ‘Hello everybody!’ and everyone replies, ‘Mel, calm down!'” she says.
“I say, ‘Why? I’m coming here, so I’m happy’. Some people are a little bit the same – Jayde [Riviere], but not a lot… Millie [Turner], sometimes she tries but not the same as me.
“I’m a very happy person and positive. When you’re with me, you’re not bored!”
Equally as striking as Malard’s personality is her journey from the 39 by 28 mile island in the middle of the Indian Ocean to England via a stopover in France – an achievement worth celebrating on International Women’s Day.
She was only 14 when Sonia Bompastor first spotted her in a tournament in Paris and that brief encounter was enough for the now Chelsea manager to make the call that changed Malard’s life.
Eleven years on, Malard will face her former mentor with silverware on the line when United seek the first Women’s League Cup in their history against the Blues in the final at Ashton Gate on 15 March.
She has been central to United’s success this season, helping them to second place in the Women’s Super League and into the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League where they will play Bayern Munich later this month.
She has been involved in nine WSL goals for Marc Skinner’s side – with only Jess Park having more involvements – while she is also their joint-top scorer in Europe with three.
And if that was not enough, Malard has impressed this week for France, scoring twice against Ireland in midweek to help them win 2-1 in Dublin.
