Zaire-Emery to break France record as Henry claims he’s BETTER than Bellingham
Robin Bairner
- 27 Oct 2023 11:23 BST
- 4 min read
PSG wonderkid Warren Zaire-Emery is set to become the youngest France player in the modern era, with Didier Deschamps expected to call the midfielder up to the national team.
L’Equipe reports that Zaire-Emery’s performance against AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday, a match PSG won 3-0, has elevated the teenager into Deschamps’ thinking after an impressive start to the season.
The midfielder created two goals in that game and produced an excellent all-round showing for the Ligue 1 champions, particularly impressing with his physical attributes against far more seasoned opponents.
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Deschamps has previously hinted at his admiration for the youngster, stating previously: “If he continues like this, he is a serious candidate for a role in midfield. He has incredible maturity.”
Thierry Henry, the present France U21 head coach, has gone even further, suggesting that Zaire-Emery is even better than Jude Bellingham, who is shining at Real Madrid after an exceptional start to his career.
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“The way Warren Zaire-Emery is playing, it is just not normal to run the show for a 17-year-old,” Henry, who made the teenager his captain, told CBS Sports.
“He was the only one who held his own at St James’ Park. He is magnificent at the moment. The sky is the limit. I have never seen a player that young being so mature. This guy has no limit, for me.”
PSG head coach Luis Enrique has backed him as the complete player, explaining: “He is a surprising player, only 17 years old, who does everything well, whether in attack, in defence, in aggression, in technique. He has a good vision of the game, an eye for goal and a sense of where to pass.”
Who is France’s youngest player?
Felix Vial is the youngest player to have turned out for France, according to the Chroniques Bleues site, which indicates he played for his country aged 17 years, 2 months and 15 days against Luxembourg in 1911. It was his only appearance for France as he was killed in the First World War during the Battle of Champagne.
If Zaire-Emery plays for France, he will become Les Bleus’ youngest player in more than 100 years.
Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga presently holds the record for being the youngest player with Les Bleus since the Second World War, having turned out aged 17 years, 9 months and 29 days against Croatia in 2020.
If Zaire-Emery features against Gibraltar on 18 November in Nice, he will edge that record by little over a month. Indeed, he will be 17 years, 8 months and 10 days old, while three days later Les Bleus will travel to Greece, potentially giving him a second shot of playing for Deschamps’ side, who are one of only two nations with a perfect record in Euro 2024 qualifying.
