Lloris not distracted by Lyon hype

Courageous and commanding on the pitch, but tight-lipped and reserved off it, Hugo Lloris looks set to be France's first-choice goalkeeper for years to come, having improved on an outstanding first season at Olympique Lyonnais with some fabulous UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup qualifying displays.

Signed from OGC Nice in the summer of 2008, the 23-year-old is doing his best to politely ignore the praise he has been receiving, particularly since two more impressive performances between the posts helped Lyon knock out Real Madrid CF in the round of 16.

"I really don't pay any attention to that," he said. "I do the best I can and always try to do better. I'm enjoying it. I'm working hard, trying to be as consistent as possible. Besides, I'm young; maybe people don't know me at the moment, so it's just a pleasure to be able to take part in the Champions League, and to play against such big clubs."

The talk is modest, but his achievements so far have been anything but, as he has performed well enough to take over from Olympique de Marseille's Steve Mandanda in the race to become Grégory Coupet's long-term replacement for Les Bleus.

"I've always demanded a lot of myself, and I've always been ambitious," Lloris added. "I'm lucky to be only 23. Playing big games in big competitions makes you grow up, and by nature I'm quite grounded. I keep it all in perspective."

Lloris made his name helping his first club, Nice, match their best ever finish when they came eighth in Ligue 1 in 2007/08, prompting Lyon to shell out €8.5m for him. Tasked with replacing Coupet at Les Gones, Lloris said: "It's the start of a new cycle at Lyon, because there are a lot of new players and young players, and while some senior players have been here for several years, there's been a lot of changes and a new coach as well, and a new set of circumstances."

The young keeper said the potential of his side is there for all to see, and Europe was made well aware of that when Lyon eliminated Madrid from the UEFA Champions League first knockout round with a 1-0 home win and a battling 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Lloris rose to the occasion over the two legs and Cristiano Ronaldo's strike early on in Madrid was the first Lyon had conceded in 626 minutes of football. Inspiring stuff, no doubt, but while he does not doubt the class of his team-mates – in the last eight for the first time since 2006 – the goalkeeper maintains Claude Puel's side are not the finished article yet.

"It's a question of being demanding of yourself, individually and as a team," he explained. "Our difficulties in Ligue 1 have been down to us rather than the opposition. We have this ability to raise our game, but sometimes we have a few problems; whether that's down to a lack of confidence or a passing game which isn't at the right level yet, for our standards, or for the standards of the French league."

Regarded as shy, even austere, Lloris is not one to blow his own – or his side's – trumpet. Reaching the quarter-finals is an achievement in itself, but the man who won the 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Championship with France knows that getting your hands on a trophy is what matters most. "It's all about the outcome of the competition; it's only a win in the final that gives you something to celebrate, even though it's true that qualifying against Real Madrid is definitely massive."

Should his rich vein of form continue, Lyon fans have every reason to keep dreaming. Lloris, though, will not be getting carried away. "I try not to forget that the most important thing is the pitch, the green rectangle, that's what concerns me the most," he concluded. "I like to live in a calm way off the pitch, living to the full but without expending energy left, right and centre, and always keeping focused on training and on the matches."