"At some point I will naturally end up behind him in the pecking order," confessed Jean-Louis Leca in mid-September, talking about his future - and thus that of Faríñez - at RC Lens on France Bleu Nord. "When I extended my contract for two years, the club clearly told me that they were looking for my successor and that they wanted me to help get him up to speed."

In Friday's dominant 4-0 win over Troyes, the 23-year-old successor from Venezuela made his second start in Ligue 1 Uber Eats - his fourth appearance in Ligue 1 Uber Eats and sixth in all competitions - since his arrival in the summer of 2020.

Easy does it

For the time being, the transfer of power has not yet taken place, but is likely to happen gradually in the lead-up to the end of the Ligue 1 Uber Eats season next June. That should allow time to let Faríñez adjust to the habits and customs of French football. In the meantime, the man who spends most of his time on the bench - outside of international breaks - is observing, watching and storing up the knowledge that is essential for performance. His foundations are, however, very solid.

"He is a very good keeper. He shows us that every day in training," said team-mate, midfielder Cheick Doucouré. "He's a hard worker and he'll do well. He lives his role as an understudy perfectly well. I tell him to continue learning from Jean-Louis."

Coach, team-mates behind him

Wuilker Faríñez has been discreet for the past year and a half, no doubt because of the language barrier, but he takes refuge in the daily work at the La Gaillette training centre, where he goes from session to session with the same assiduity irrespective whether he is likely to be a starter or a benchwarmer that weekend.

"He had a normal week", explained the coach Franck Haise, before the victory against ESTAC. "The only difference is that he worked behind what could be the starting defence. As for the rest of it, he knows us, we know him, and I have complete confidence in him."

A confidence also expressed by Doucouré before the rout in Troyes: "I know that he will have a big match. And he can take on the role of leader, especially with his experience as a first-choice player in his national team."

Big shoes

And the South American keeper did not disappoint, keeping a first clean sheet in Ligue 1 Uber Eats. But replacing Jean-Louis Leca is no easy task, given the Corsican's importance in the dressing room and on the pitch.

"I'm not going to ask him to do the same as Jean-Louis Leca," Haise said. The "little" Wuilker Faríñez (1.75m), who made three saves against Troyes, had the opportunity to show off his skills, and to display the progress that his coach praised in prophetic terms at the end of pre-season. "One day, sooner or later, he will become RC Lens' number one goalkeeper."