September 30th marks Giroud's 40th birthday. On this occasion, the French forward gave an exclusive interview to L'Équipe. In the second part of the interview (which was divided into four parts due to its length), he discussed his upbringing.

How does your day begin?

I can drop my children off at school first, then head directly to the training center, so I'm often among the first to arrive. I get to the training ground two hours or even more in advance, which gives me plenty of time to take care of my body.

When you were 32, did Rudiger tell you: "You've won the World Cup, why not end your career there?"

That conversation was about the national team, and it's interesting because Kanté, who is five or six years younger than me, also struggled with that question. I told him then, "You're only 26 or 27—don't end your international career yet! You still have many good years ahead of you."

When Rudiger said those words to me, I replied, "The national team has been a constant thread throughout my career. It's the cherry on top of the cake, the ultimate pride and glory." Facts have proven my choice was right, and I'm fortunate to have experienced so many unforgettable moments with this team.

Valbuena said that, like him, because you didn't reach the top tier of French football until you were almost 24, you no longer set limits for yourself. Do you feel the same way?

Absolutely. Setting limits for myself has never been my style. In the national team back then, Ribéry, Rami, Koscielny, Jallet, and Valbuena—many of us had quite winding career paths.

On November 11, 2011, at the age of 25, I wore the French national team jersey for the first time. At that moment, I thought, "I want to play for the French team for 10 years." It turned out I stayed for 13 years. Initially, I had to make my case to leave Grenoble. Back then, I was only the fourth-choice striker. When I returned from my loan spell at Istres, the team was promoted to Ligue 1.

But the coach only saw me as a substitute. I asked myself, "What matters most to you? Continuous improvement and playing time, or playing in Ligue 1 at 20?" So I went to Tours (Ligue 2, 2008-2010), climbing up step by step.

Did a coach named Mecha Baždarević once tell you that you weren't good enough for Ligue 2, and did that statement stay with you throughout your career?

It was difficult to accept at the time, but I don't hold a grudge against him. Even though such things shouldn't be said to a 19 or 20-year-old, essentially he wasn't wrong. I had just come up from the National Division and hadn't proven myself yet. However, my Christian faith makes it easy for me to forgive others and not dwell on things.

Is that also part of what shaped your character?

Yes, faith has greatly helped me put many things into perspective. I am naturally humble, but studying the Bible and comparing it to the life of Jesus has made me even more humble. I try to put myself in others' shoes, and when I see suffering in the world, I feel I have no right to complain. There will always be periods of self-doubt in a career, and the most important thing is to learn to let go and not get caught up in wins and losses.

I have no anger in my heart, but I want to prove that a coach's judgment should not define you as a person or dictate your self-perception. When I watched Premier League matches back then, I was convinced that I could make it there too. I have always believed in myself, but this is not out of a desire for revenge.

So, have you ever felt "unloved by the public"?

This mainly stemmed from the French national team. When Benzema was removed from the national team squad, I unfortunately happened to be there at the wrong time. Only a small number of people held negative views, but I still remember scoring a spectacular goal from a Paul Pogba assist in a match against Cameroon in Nantes.

But after I missed a one-on-one chance in the second half, I was booed. On the eve of Euro 2016 in France, hearing that kind of sound was certainly unpleasant, and it deeply affected me. L'Équipe's headline at the time was: "The Unloved One."

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