Soccer / Football · The Guardian

‘Leaving England is scary but I’m here to win’: Charlie Cresswell on Ligue 1 life and his international dream

Published by The Guardian on October 19, 2026 at 10:30 AM ET

The centre-back could not see a way forward at Leeds so moved to France. Now he’s preparing for the biggest game of his life against Juventus By Get French Football News “Leaving England is such a scary, scary decision,” says Charlie Cresswell. It is a decision that he never thought he would make. His father Richard made a career as a journeyman footballer in England; his brother Alfie was coming through Leeds’ academy; Charlie was already on the fringes of the Yorkshire club’s first team when the opportunity to join Toulouse arose in 2024. “That was the biggest decision I made in football,” he says. “I’ve been a Leeds fan since I was eight. I’d been at the club since I was 10 but, looking back, I was 20 years old with no games, and I needed to get out and go play,” says Cresswell, now at Rennes and preparing to face Juventus in the Europa League. Continue reading...

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