Andre-Pierre Gignac praises coach Elie Baup

Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac has heaped praise on his coach Elie Baup for his impact in his upturn in form this season.

Gignac played under Baup at Toulouse and has now had his best season since leaving the club, with 13 league strikes to his name.

"It's my best season since my Toulouse years," Gignac told Ligue1.com. "What's changed for me the most is being injury-free. I'd had quite a lot of injuries over the previous two years and at last this time around I was able to put in a proper pre-season.

"The statistics speak for themselves. I'm more mature now and I've varied my game, I'm able to lay it off now in a way people didn't think I was able to.

"[Baup] realised he needed me and I realised I needed him. We managed to dissipate the misunderstandings we'd had when he coached me at Toulouse for a season. Everything's gone well since then. He put his confidence in me from the start and played an important role in my success and that of the club."

Gignac was Marseille's top goalscorer this season.