The email came from a creative advertising agency and the proposal was a potential collaboration in which Gardner would be paid if he was willing to act, in secret, as a social media influencer on behalf of Ousmane Dembele, the Paris Saint-Germain forward. We are exploring a one-month campaign designed to spark dialogue and strengthen the narrative around Ousmane Dembele's candidacy for the Ballon d'Or, the email explained.
"The world has been watching. It will make a very big impact in Africa because we have so many good players and they just need the opportunity to show what they can really do. "It lets others know that everything is achievable and everything is possible. This nomination is not just for me, it is for Africa. "It is for every young girl dreaming to become whatever they want to be. They just have to believe in themselves."
"With everything I've been through in my career, being at the ceremony is already a victory for me. One of the biggest in my professional life. It's not really a goal that I set for myself. My goal is to be better than I was yesterday, to be better than I was last season. So, if I'm at the Ballon d'Or ceremony, that's already a victory for me."