From Rugby Star to Football GEM: The Untold Story of Malo Gusto

This memoir tells the full history of Malo Gusto, a boy who nearly became a rugby player instead of a footballer. His early years in rugby shaped his speed and combative nature.

Did you know? Malo Gusto’s love for football was initially a secret he kept from his parents. He played rugby until he was 10, before finally confessing his true passion for soccer to his dad.

Additionally, we’ll share the story of a boy from Décines who was often mistaken for a girl because of his long hair. After a football match, a fan once told Malo Gusto’s parents, “Your daughter is strong; she’s better than everyone.” This comment made him so angry that he decided to cut his hair.

This article on Malo Gusto’s Journey tells you Facts about his Childhood Story, Early Life, Parents – Philippe Gusto (Father), Family Background, Siblings, Cousins, etc.

This article on Gusto also provides empirical facts about his Family Origins, Ethnicity, Education, Hometown, etc.

More so, the Personal Life, Lifestyle, Net Worth and Salary Breakdown of the fast-rising French right-back.

Preamble:

We begin Malo Gusto’s History by telling you notable events of his boyhood years. Next, we’ll take you through his football journey with AS Villefontaine and Bourgoin-Jallieu.

This memoir also explains how the native of Décines found success with Olympique Lyonnais.

We hope to whet your football-autobiography appetite as you read Malo Gusto’s Story.

To begin doing that, let’s present you a unique picture gallery tells the story of the Frenchman’s life trajectory. Indeed, Malo has come a long way in his amazing soccer journey.

Yes, everyone knows he, like Reece James, is an agile and offensively-minded right-back.

Hence, it is no surprise that Gusto, an embedded member of Laurent Blanc’s Lyon team, caught the attention of a rich football club like Chelsea.

The French speedster is a Baller who likes to go forward and who likes to hit and defend. Malo is also generous in positioning and duels.

He is a football genius with an irreproachable lifestyle, one who understands what the life of being a pro requires.

In our quest to deliver you the stories of popular French right-backs, we found a knowledge deficit.

The truth is, not many football lovers have read an in-depth version of Malo Gusto’s Biography. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Malo Gusto Childhood Story:

For starters in his Biography reading, he bears the nickname “Timal”. This nickname has its origins in the country where Malo Gusto’s family originally comes from. (Martinique, West Indies).

The French footballer was born on the 19th day of May 2003 to his Parents – Mr and Mrs  Philippe Gusto, in Decines-Charpieu, eastern France. We have confirmed that Malo Gusto is the only child of his parents.

Growing-Up Years:

Although he was born in Décines-Charpieu, Gusto spent his early childhood years at Villefontaine. As a boy, he was well surrounded by both nuclear and extended family members – notably his parents and cousins.

Being the only child never made Malo feel isolated or lonely. And it wasn’t challenging for him simply because he had lots of cousins living together at his family home.

Because of that, Malo never felt bored or alone, even when his parents were out at their work.

Although he was the only child of his parents, Gusto had a feeling of companionship and connectedness with his childhood friends.

This doesn’t include his cousins, whom he grew up with. Back then, the Malo Gusto family lived upstairs in a building of their estate. And he was fond of hanging out downstairs with these childhood friends.

Friends and neighbours who know him have said that Gusto has been a calm, quiet, and respectful boy.

Also, he was the kind of kid who had a lot of energy to spend. Engaging in sports was a good way of channelling those energies into proper use. We’ll tell you more about this as we progress.

Malo Gusto Early Years:

Philippe has mapped out the future of his only son since he was a little boy.

In fact, as a sign of fate, Malo’s birthplace is Décines, a town east of Lyon and a few meters from the OL stadium.

Being born close to a famous football ground ignited his passion for the sport.

Villefontaine in Isère, which is 26 minutes away from Décines-Charpieu (where the Gusto family lived), is the home of another great sport, Rugby.

In fact, Rugby is Malo’s Dad’s favourite sport. A sport that Philippe Gusto (who is a big fan of the France rugby team) predestined for his only son.

Despite growing up close to a famous football club, Malo never started his sporting journey with the round ball at his feet. Rather, he began sports with an oval ball in his hands.

The idea of doing Athletics and playing Rugby was orchestrated by Philippe Gusto, Malo’s father.

Before joining a football academy, Philippe enrolled his son at Avenir XV Rugby. This is the academy of a rugby club in La Verpillière, France. The decision was in line with making Malo follow in the footsteps of his dad, Philippe.

Unfortunately, Malo later switched to football to the great regret of his father, who wanted him to play rugby only.

Unknown to Philippe, his son kept his love for football a secret. Malo only wanted one sport, football. At nine or ten, the boy expressed his wish (that hidden secret) to his parents.

Shocked by his son’s confession, Philippe first expressed his disappointment. In reaction, he once told his son to disregard football and focus on rugby. Malo, in an interview, said he replied to his Dad;

“No, no, I want to become a professional footballer”

Already sure of himself, the native of Décines, who could have made a career in rugby, got his parents’ blessings to pursue a football career. We’ll tell you more about his football journey as you continue reading his Bio.

Malo Gusto Family Background:

The Athlete from Décines hails from a middle-class household. Now let’s tell you about the occupation of Malo Gusto’s parents.

At the time of writing this Bio, his father, Philippe Gusto, works at SNCF.

In French, SNCF stands for The Société nationale des chemins de fer français, which is a France’s railway company.

In simpler terms, Malo Gusto’s Father works with France’s national state-owned railway company.

This company where Philippe Gusto works is the chief operator of France’s national rail traffic. On the other hand, Malo Gusto’s Mum is a Director of a French association that takes care of both the disadvantaged and elderly people.

Also to note, Philippe (the Athlete’s Dad) engaged in several sports during his youth. Malo’s Father played rugby and football, amongst other notable French sports.

He, who fancied his son to become a rugby player, wasn’t specific about staying with a specific sport (himself) during his youth.

Malo Gusto Family Origin:

The French right-back has one more nationality aside from France – and that is Portugal. But when it comes to Malo Gusto’s origin, our research points to Martinique, West Indies.

As stated earlier in this Bio, his nickname “Timal” came from his Martinique origins.

Villefontaine in Isère, a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France, is where Malo Gusto’s family calls home.

By our calculation, where he grew up (Villefontaine) is just 25 minutes from Lyon. This is the capital city in France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

Where Malo Gusto’s Parents raised him was just a 23-minute drive to the Groupama Stadium.

Also known as Parc Olympique Lyonnais, it is the home ground of the French football club Olympique Lyonnais. Such proximity affected his likeness for the beautiful game.

Malo Gusto Education:

From the onset, Philippe, his Dad, has been very attentive to his son’s football career and schooling.

In his teen, the completion of Malo Gusto’s education (at the baccalaureate level) was taken by his parents as more important than a career move abroad.

Do you know?… the Athlete’s Dad and Mum once rejected a 2022 January winter transfer for their son on the grounds that he must complete his baccalaureate exams. In case you don’t know, this is an examination that qualifies successful candidates for higher education in France.

Thanks to how they see education, it has not always been the intention of Malo Gusto’s Parents to uproot their son in the middle of his schooling.

So the Baller went all the way and successfully wrote his baccalaureate, having known it was essential to his Mum and Dad.

Judging by his intelligent football brain, it was no surprise that Malo Gusto finished his STMG baccalaureate with outstanding honours.

Even though he found the exam easy, he wasn’t the type who fancied going to school a lot.

So Malo would sometimes get criticized for that (not liking the idea of schooling).

Back then, his favourite subjects were Sports, French, History and Geography (similar to Djibril Sow and Gleison Bremer).

Career Buildup:

Reacting to his son’s decision to choose football instead of rugby, Philippe Gusto, Malo’s Dad, once expressed his feelings in an interview. He said;

“Malo was very talented. He was already going fast and had a lot of activity. Again, he was combative and had a good vision of the rugby game. I think he could have made a very good three-quarter centre if he had stayed with rugby.”

Truth be told, Philippe Gusto was a little disappointed by his son’s decision to abandon rugby.

Initially, Malo’s Dad was not very enthusiastic about football, even thou he played the sport in his youth. Philippe believed that his son had the ability to play rugby very well.

As noticed earlier in this Bio, Malo played a few sports before he got into football. In fact, playing soccer started at the age of 10.

Before that, he was used to taking the rugby ball and just running around. The youngster also did athletics, where he ran 100m for fun.

Football Story:

The Athlete’s early beginnings with rugby forged his speedy, catchy and combative nature.  Malo Gusto transferred those athletic qualities, including natural leadership, into football.

When he was not into rugby, he always found time to play soccer with friends in the Villefontaine neighbourhood.

Without being part of any football school, Malo Gusto got spotted by AS Villefontaine. After outgrowing the club, he earned a move to Bourgoin-Jallieu, following a successful trial.

The club, which is affiliated with OL, targeted Malo as the first kid among other sets of boys.

Each of the football educators in charge of the academy’s young age groups was impressed with Gusto’s performance, his qualities and his potential.

This statement was further confirmed by Manuel De Almeida, who is the club’s sports director.

Gusto’s future was already well mapped out geographically. In fact, as a sign of fate, the Baller was born in Décines, a French town with close proximity to Lyon.

Bourgoin-Jallieu was the club that changed the Athlete’s life forever, and we’ll break down the details as we progress with this Bio.

Road to Fame Story:

Similar to the case of Marc Cucurella and David Luiz, there exists one thing that made them very obvious on the pitch. That is no other than the ritual of their hair.

For Malo Gusto, having long hair was a special ritual. It didn’t only distinguish him on the pitch but made him excel during tournaments.

Because of the Athlete’s long hair, football fans often mistook him for a girl.

Malo, who performed very well on the pitch (with his parents cheering for him in the stands), often gets post-match comments from fans. Here is what the Athlete once said in an interview.

People would come up to my parents after the match and say, “Your daughter is the strongest on the pitch, and she’s better than everyone.

Because of my long hair, almost everyone took me for a girl footballer. And those comments made me livid.

Malo, who didn’t like it when people saw him as a girl, decided to act quickly. The Emerging talent decided to cut his hair a little. As noticed from the picture above, Malo’s hair was longer when he was younger.

In other to avoid being mistaken for a girl, Gusto came to a resolution that his long hair wouldn’t grow past a certain height. A height that will make people mistake him for a girl – whether on or off the pitch.

After timing his long hair, the talented football Prodigy didn’t suffer from the mistaken identity problem anymore.

During those early academy years, Malo played as an attacker. He was the kind of striker who scored a lot and was always interested in learning from the best.

Malo Gusto Biography – Rise to Fame Story:

In his quest to become a good professional footballer, the youngster began following the footsteps of some Brazilian Legends. Malo Gusto learned from the skills of Robinho, Neymar and Ronaldinho in order to get better at his craft.

But little did he know he would be an opposition to Neymar (in the French League) years later.

At the age of 13 or 14, Malo Gusto’s life changed forever. This came after he performed excellently at a tournament.

The Bourgoin-Jallieu footballer was scouted by the famous Julien Sokol, who worked for Olympique Lyon.

After the tournament, he made the club reach out to Malo Gusto’s Parents to discuss their son’s transfer. According to the footballer himself,

The leaders of OL academy came to the house and then we signed a contract.

Life at OL:

Malo arrived at the club the same year Olympique Lyonnais moved to the Stade des Lumières stadium, situated in his family home.

At that time, Olympique Lyonnais was focused on recruiting some of the best young talents in the world. At that time, the club had already had star players like Bradley Barcola.

Gusto was 14 when he joined OL. He began experiencing exponential growth just after he moved to the OL training centre in Bourgoin-Jallieu.

In the whole of France, OL has the reputation of having good training methods, working tools, and sports infrastructure, which facilitates the progress of young players.

Joining a club like Lyon meant that he had to leave home at that age. And for the first time, Malo Gusto’s Parents saw their only son leaving them for the first time.

The young talent found himself in the club’s academy’s boarding school.

Malo adapted well despite everything being new for him. Little by little, the ex-Berjallien star climbed up to the professional group.

Cyrille Dolce, a youth coach, was the man who uplifted Malo’s career when he was in the under-15s.

The tactician, who is known to be very disciplined-oriented, has a reputation for pushing young footballers beyond the limit.

Malo once confessed that working with Cyrille Dolce means extra seriousness in every aspect of the game.

Cyrille Dolce was also known to discipline young players in the area of wearing good clothing, keeping good behaviour, having a good way of speaking and staying on time with schedules.

The great disciplinarian improved Malo’s mindset about becoming the best. Cyrille Dolce made Gusto understand that football is a sport where you must be good at all aspects (both on and off-pitch).

That advice gave Malo the needed desire and confidence that he could make a difference as a professional.

The journey to becoming a Pro:

During his final days at Lyon’s academy, Malo Gusto found himself converting into a defender (a right-back).

From the days of his Olympic Lyon Under 19 days, the youngster began studying the footage of three of the best right-backs in the world. These persons are Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Achraf Hakimi.

Malo knew that when a footballer wants to evolve at the highest level, he has to follow the greatest players in that position, including showing the desire to become the best.

So he never stopped looking at the footage of the above players each time he got to his hostel from the day’s activities.

And when he was off the pitch, Malo understood that he had no right to relax. During training, the Rising Baller didn’t just settle to give his best. Rather to surpass every one of his teammates.

Life as a Pro:

To the joy of Malo Gusto’s Parents, their celebrated son made his professional debut for Lyon on the 24th day of January 2021. On that day, the debutant replaced Bruno Guimarães in a 5–0 Ligue 1 away win for Lyon.

For Malo, it was super exciting for him to rub shoulders with some of the club’s big-name players. We talk about the likes of Memphis Depay, Lucas Paqueta (AM), Karl Toko Ekambi (CF), Maxwel Cornet and Moussa Dembélé.

Among the above names, Memphis Depay came very close to him. After his first match, Gusto remembered the words of the Dutch Striker telling him;

“Brother, please know that you are not here to laugh! “

After most training sessions, Memphis would meet Malo and tell him where he had done well and areas he needed to improve.

Seeing how Memphis acted towards him almost on a daily basis became a blessing for the youngster. In the words of Gusto about his early senior career experience;

When you’re just a football fan, and you watch the game on TV, you don’t realize what’s going on behind the scenes. It is remarkable to see what works by some players before a football match.

Malo’s selling point as a pro was his running ability. Fans see him taking the trajectory of Alphonso Davies, a Canadian bomb that shines so much for his acceleration over a few meters. Both Malo and Alphonso excel in their speed over long distances.

Gusto’s long strides with Lyon showed that he was truly an agile and explosive player. A right-back capable of eliminating his opponent, including beating any competition within his team. This quality, we say again, is very similar to that of Alphonso Davies.

Under the management of Peter Bosz and Laurent Blanc, Gusto performed at the highest level.

The big impression he made with Lyon attracted Graham Potter‘s Chelsea, who (in January 2023) confirmed his signing via the club’s website. The rest, as we say, is history.

Who is Malo Gusto Dating?

In an interview, the right-back was asked how he (a handsome footballer) is able to resist temptation.

We talk about the temptation of girls, especially those who aspire to become Malo Gusto’s girlfriend, wife or baby mama. Also, he learned how the Chelsea Athlete avoids bad food.

According to our records, the footballer from Décines-Charpieu is single at the time of writing his Bio.

Malo Gusto’s relationship status (at the time of writing) is set to remain single for a while because of the advice from his parents and advisers.

The Athlete who has good values and intentions doesn’t shy from the fact that he can’t be tempted. The temptation here relates to eating bat food or hanging out with girls.

This is why to sees his parents and advisers as super essential in keeping him grounded and making him have a cool head.

Personality:

Who is Malo Gusto?.. To start with, the Baller with Martinique origins is someone who is very comfortable in his own style. Malo still has long hair and does not fancy the idea of cutting it, as Romelu Lukaku once did.

According to the soccer star, his long hair remains his trademark. Malo believes that people recognize him by his hair, and it would be a shame for him to cut it now. However, he fancies the idea of cutting it in the distant future.

Secondly, Gusto loves going to the cinema. He, who goes there during his leisure time, loves the idea of watching both American and French comedies.

Gusto has revealed that he visits the cinema with his family and friends at least two or three times a week.

On a more personal note, the Baller is someone who is calm, sociable and respectful. Malo loves to laugh, but he faults himself as being a bit too demanding, especially on himself.

Gusto’s weakness is that he can easily lack concentration, especially when he is distracted by something that makes him laugh.

More on his personality:

Malo Gusto is not a footballer who gets afraid. When he is on the pitch, he doesn’t think of anything that borders him, and he doesn’t calculate anything wrongly

All thanks to his outstanding mentality, the Athlete is someone who loves to manage difficult situations better.

Secondly, Malo is a patient footballer who just simply obeys what he refers to as his clarion call without complaining. Do you know?… For a whole three months, he played professional football without even signing a contract. The Baller once said during an interview;

“But frankly, I played for that long and never asked myself the question about my contract. My agent spoke to me about the need for a contract.

For me, I just wanted to prove a point that I was good enough as a pro. I saw the contract as just a plus, and it eventually came naturally.“

Obviously, many young footballers are more focused on signing a professional contract before they give in their best.

This is not the case with Gusto. The footballer is a firm believer in the words that “A professional football contract must be earned”.

When Malo enters the pitch, he wants to show his desire. Doing that as well as showing he is capable of giving everything for the jersey he represents, is more important to him.

He always wants to show that he can be trusted to defend, make assists and score goals.

The sleeping issue:

Malo Gusto has an anecdote that made him never go late again for training. Once upon a time, during his under-16 days, Gusto did not respect a training schedule.

This is similar to what happened to Emile Smith-Rowe – at the time, nature called him before a match.

On that Wednesday afternoon, just before his second training session, Malo had a nap. He slept so long and didn’t wake up on time for the session.

Surprisingly, it took the effort of his coach to leave the training and go look for him in the club’s accommodation. In Malo’s words;

“The coaches walked straight into my hostel room, landed in front of my bed and saw me sleeping deeply. Since that day, I made it a duty never to miss training or arrive late; I am always early to training.”

That event of Gusto sleeping and missing training made him evolve. He believes it is a good thing to experience that and learn from it through the concept of punctuality. Malo because he is a heavy sleeper who can sleep for many hours.

Can Gusto dethrone Reece James?

When asked how he was able to dethrone Léo Dubois as Lyon’s first choice right back, the Athlete said the following;

“I am young, I learn fast, I watch my opponent’s weakness, and I listen. Then, whenever I am called into a match, I try to show that I am ready to play and fight my competition. I believe when a player is less good, he does not play, and when he is better, he should play more.“

Football fans believe Malo Gusto will use this principle to give Reece James a run for his money at the Chelsea right-back slot.

The tiptoeing effect:

As a young person, Malo believes he must watch, listen, be attentive and learn from older people. When he performs on the pitch, he shows that he is mature in his head and that feeling of being young disappears in him.

Lastly, Gusto fancies the idea of tiptoe walking. Doing this exercise helps to develop strength and flexibility in his feet, calves, and ankles.

For the Chelsea FC athlete who relies on his speed, tiptoe walking helps improve his balance and coordination.

Malo Gusto Lifestyle:

Getting to know how the Football Prodigy lives his life will help you get a complete picture of him.

To start with, Malo is someone who does not have time to read the media’s content about him. Oftentimes, his family and relatives (mostly his cousins) read and give him feedback where necessary.

The media does not interest Malo as he believes some of the outside views of discussions are often biased. He believes people don’t know the critical things that go on internally within a team or club.

So whether they are criticisms or praises, he doesn’t care to read. He sees the media as not something that should make him work or give him confidence.

Where does Malo Gusto spend his vacation?

The answer is Marrakesh, a city in western Morocco. Gusto loves to visit this place, which is home to beautiful palaces and gardens. He is a fan of the desert tours from Marrakech, which provide the perfect escape from football.

Malo Gusto Family Life:

Despite being the only child of his parents, the footballer was never bored in his early years. Malo has a huge built-in support system, comprising not just his Dad and Mum but his relatives as well. Now, let’s tell you how these people bring out the best in him.

Malo Gusto Father:

Philippe’s decision to have his family home a few meters from the Groupama Stadium shaped his son’s sporting life.

Even though his earlier choice for Malo was rugby, Philippe still gave his support when a change of mind came with football, which has paid off.

Gusto’s dad still remains a huge fan of the French national rugby union team. These days, he works closely with Castagnino, the agency that manages his son’s career. Castagnino also handles the career of former Bayern midfielder Corentin Tolisso.

Malo Gusto Mother:

Those times when he tells himself, “I need to buy this and buy that”, his Mum always lends her voice to advise him on managing his finances.

Our findings reveal that Malo Gusto’s Mum isn’t as passionate about football as his Dad. In the words of the Athlete;

My mother often gets a little stressed with her work. She hardly watches every football game. And my father watches, observes and says nothing. Both of them support me a lot.

Just like her husband Philippe, Gusto’s Mum is very attentive to his educational upbringing. Having risen to become a director of a notable French care organization, it is clear that  Gusto’s Mum is educated.

As stated earlier in this Bio, she serves as the director of an organization that takes care of the disadvantaged and elderly.

Thanks to the academic and emotional support from Malo Gusto Mum, he was able to obtain his baccalaureate. Gusto joins footballers like Hugo Ekitike, Barca’s Jules Kounde (CB), Issa Diop and Benoit Badiashile, who successfully passed through the four walls of this exam.

Malo Gusto Relatives:

The most popular among them are his cousins, the people he grew up with. Gusto was well surrounded by them, including his childhood friends.

Even as a professional footballer with Lyon, he still has his cousin coming to stay with him for a while. He once said,

I live alone, but my cousins ​​often come to visit me. I always manage to make myself something to eat. But when my family visits me, they are excited to cook for me. These days, living alone in my apartment is not complicated.

Malo Gusto’s cousins are always behind him, giving him encouragement and helping him keep his feet on the ground. They provide him with that ideal balance between his life and his football career.

Untold Facts:

In the final section of Malo Gusto’s Bio, we’ll unveil more truths you might not know about him. Without further ado, let’s get started.

Malo Gusto’s Salary:

One thing is certain: he is not in the league of highest-paid Chelsea players. We talk about the likes of Raheem Sterling, N’Golo Kante and Wesley Fofana. Although not verified, Malo’s earnings, at the time of writing, should be in the range of £50k weekly (the money earned by Conor Gallagher).

How rich is the Soccer Player from Décines-Charpieu?

Where Malo Gusto’s family comes from, the average person makes around €28,080 per month. Yes, such a person would need more than a lifetime (105 years) to make his annual Chelsea wage.

Malo Gusto FIFA:

Judging by the stats below, it is obvious that his strongest point is his movement – (sprint speed and acceleration). Malo Gusto is blessed with that, thanks to his mad ability to repeat foot races over and over again.

Malo Gusto Religion:

Our odds are in favour of the French right-back identifying with the Christian faith. Malo, unlike the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and Trevoh Chalobah, keeps his religious affinity private.

EndNote:

Malo was born on the 19th day of May 2003 to his parents, Mr and Mrs Philippe Gusto. He, who grew up alongside his cousins, is the only child of his  Dad and Mum.

Malo Gusto’s origin is Martinique, West Indies. The Athlete, who holds French nationality (by virtue of his birth), also have Portuguese citizenship.

Timal (who came from his Martinique origins) was born to hardworking middle-class parents.

Starting with Malo Gusto’s Dad, he is a staff of SNCF, France’s national state-owned railway company. His Mother is a Director of a French body that cares for elderly and disadvantaged persons.

As a child, Gusto engaged in three sports – rugby, football and athletics (100-meter races). He spent his early boyhood years at Villefontaine in Isère, where rugby is often the most preferred sport.

Philippe Gusto saw in his son a boy who was combative in nature, and so he wanted him to become a rugby player.

Despite his engagement with rugby, football was always in Malo’s heart. So, against his Dad’s wishes, the youngster opted for the beautiful game.

Philippe had no choice but to support his son’s decision. Thus saw the start of Malo’s football journey with the local club, AS Villefontaine.

Malo Gusto’s parents valued education. While their son pursued his football dream, they ensured he studied hard for his technological baccalaureate exams. After progressing from Bourgoin-Jallieu (another academy), Malo joined Olympique Lyonnais in 2016.

To increase his focus on the game, the teenager left his parents’ home to stay in the club’s accommodation facility. Malo quickly developed there, scaled through OL’s academy and went on to establish himself as a starter with the club.

Coming from the 2003 generation, Gusto climbs the world football stages without asking any questions. As I conclude this Bio, Malo is a Chelsea player who is on loan to OL until June 30, 2023. At the time of updating this bio, he was often considered Reece James’s deputy and Chelsea fans’ favourite right back.