Toulouse fans have enjoyed the scoring exploits of some fine strikers in the past, from Andre-Pierre Giganc to Wissam Ben Yedder.  Now they’ve another goal machine to worship. Targeted by Fiorentina and Marseille in January, Andy Delort finally opted for Toulouse.

Delort told the Ligue 1 Show on beIN Sports: "It all started when I received a message from the coach wishing me a happy new year. He asked me to give him a call. I spoke to the coach and I discovered that the president really wanted to sign me. He made it clear he’d do everything possible to bring me to Toulouse. I’ve been here nearly a month now, I feel really good in this team and on the pitch. I feel happy when I wake up in the mornings and I’m really enjoying working and being here."

After six months away in Mexico, Delort took no time at all reacclimatise, scoring upon his return to Ligue 1 against Angers then repeating the feat in his second game against Lorient.

"I’m crazy about scoring goals. If I see a ball and a goal I feel compelled to shoot. Just this morning I got shouted at for doing that! I always need see that bulge or hear the ball hit the net. It’s a drug I’m addicted to."

Overhead kick and Papin influence

Delort then confirmed his status as the new darling of the Toulouse fans in his third game against Bastia.

"I scored in my first two games and people were wondering if I’d make it three in a row - then I scored the overhead kick. That was incredible and every time I watch it back I feel that same sensation.”

The technique involved evoked memories of the former Ballon d’Or Jean-Pierre Papin… perhaps not a total coincidence.

"I love Papin. I sometimes watch videos of Papin before games and it helps me know what kind of finish to go for if I get a chance. When I was little my Dad was a massive fan of his, and he used to show me endless video tapes. He always wanted me to be a striker. I wouldn’t say he forced me, but he pushed me towards that and helped me develop that love of scoring. I used to practice with my Dad and he’d say to me ‘if you miss the target two more times we’re going home' and that threat ensured I kept hitting the target."

Delort’s path hasn’t always been smooth. In 2014, after finishing joint top scorer in the second division with Tours, he looked destined for France’s elite. But the striker surprised everyone by joining Wigan in the English second tier.

Unhappy spell in England

"The next step in my career was to play in Ligue 1. I think that would’ve been the best choice for me. But Tours had financial problems and they need to recoup money on me. It became a bidding war, and Tours needed me to join that club that offered the most money. I think if I’d decided not to move to England, if I’d refused to make an effort, I don’t think Tours would be in existence today."

Delort’s English experience wasn’t a happy one. He started just four matches for Wigan and failed to score a single goal.

"The manager who brought me to Wigan was sacked. Then another guy arrived and all the signings brought in by the former coach were cast aside. It was a really difficult situation for all of those players – not just for me. He made us come in for 7am even though training started at 11. He made us train with the Under-19s. It really wasn’t easy."

The determined Frenchman bounced back in Normandy last season, scoring 12 goals and helping Caen finish seventh in Ligue 1. Things turned sour last summer, however. A medical test detected a cardiac problem, which was later dismissed, and Delort was excluded from the first team.

"For one month I wasn’t able to train with Caen, so I went to stay with my in-laws in Corsica. I had a friend who worked for the council, he’d come and pick me up at 9 every morning to go for a run. The people I used to play with couldn’t believe how much I was training. But I told them that I needed to be in peak condition when my chance came to return to playing.  When hard work like that pays off it’s a great feeling."

Mexican sojourn

In late August, Delort made the surprising decision to join Tigres, in Monterrey, Mexico.

"I followed Andre-Pierre Gignac’s season out there and I thought I’d also like to experience the fervour of the fans. The level of football is high, it’s not the same style as in France, but we’d always have nine international players in our starting eleven. I wouldn’t say I gave up, but it became frustrating for me because I was a long way from home and I wasn’t playing much. When I’m not playing football I’m not happy. But it was an amazing experience. People think I regret going to Mexico for six months, but I don’t at all. I won my first league title there. We celebrated with 500,000 people. So honestly it was a fantastic experience for me."

Delighted to be back in France, Delort is looking to continue his fine start, at home to Lille, this Sunday.

"I’m still unbeaten with Toulouse. We’ve scored four goals in each of the home matches I’ve played so far. We’ll give our all and we’ll see if we can achieve something at the end of the season."

Highs and lows

The tear tattooed onto Delort’s face serves as a reminder of the highs and lows this mature, ambitious attacker has already experienced…

"I may be only 25 but I’ve learned that you have to take one day at a time, try to score goals and see what the future brings. When I was 20 I had a career plan, but it changed. I’ve signed for four and a half years, and I still have a lot of time left to prove that I’m a top level goalscorer."