Ghana striker Abdul-Majeed Waris snubbed a bigger offer from French side Rennes to sign for Lorient to boost his chances of playing regularly, the vice president of his club has revealed.

From the top end of their market, Lorient spent a club-record 5million Euros this summer on Waris from Trabzonspor in Turkey.

Waris could have earned twice as much money up the route nationale in Rennes but instead he chose to play for the smaller club by the sea.

“Waris chose to come here because we have a philosophy and a way of playing,” enthuses Alex Hayes, the vice-president of Lorient.

“Strikers get chances and goals.” That philosophy was imposed by long-standing coach Christian Gourcuff, who stepped down last year and was replaced by his assistant, Sylvain Ripoll, “who has got the DNA of the club racing through his veins.”

The team have started the season well, with eight points from six games, winning 3-2 on Sunday at Monaco against a side featuring Joao Moutinho, Fabio Coentrao and Ricardo Carvalho.

Lorient may never have names like that but with their expansive style and their imaginative recruitment, there is only confidence in their future.

“We have a philosophy and this club stands for something,” Hayes says.

“When parents have to choose which club to go for, I think they love the fact that we are a real footballing city, and a real football club. I always say that Brian Clough would have loved to be manager of Lorient, our teams play football on the ground.”