The Montreuillois beat the record for precocity, within a few days, of his teammate Eduardo Camavinga, and thus became the youngest player in history to wear the tricolor jersey for 109 years.
Published
Update
Reading time :
2 min
:quality(50)/2023/11/18/wze-655908cfc4f92280320813.jpg)
At 17 years and 255 days old, Warren Zaire-Emery will take his first steps in the Blue jersey. Called up to the French team for the first time by Didier Deschamps for the rally for the qualifying matches for Euro 2024, Warren Zaire-Emery was started against Gibraltar in Nice, Saturday November 18, by the coach. The PSG midfielder, born in Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis), becomes the youngest player to wear the blue jersey since 1914 and Maurice Gastiger (at 17 years and 128 days).
A record of precocity
“It’s another record, so if I can beat it, I’ll be very happy, he confided at a press conference on Thursday. But it’s the coach who will decide, I’m ready.” The Parisian does better than another midfielder from the Blues, Eduardo Camavinga (currently injured in the knee), aged 17 years, 9 months and 29 days during his first selection for the French team, against Croatia on September 8, 2020 . “I don’t choose to put players on the field based on their date of birth,” assured Didier Deschamps on November 9, but “if I think it’s best for the team. Whether he’s 17, 20 or 28.”
“What he is capable of achieving at his young age demonstrates a maturity that is clearly evident at the age of over 17. Everything goes very quickly for him but he can cope,” further explained the coach, who sees in him, “a candidate for the next European Championship” in 2024. Before adding: “If he’s there it’s because he has everything. HAS From the moment he does it at PSG, I believe he has the potential to do it at international level.” Indeed, at only 17 years old, Warren Zaire-Emery has already become an indisputable starter at PSG, with whom he has already played 60 matches (15 starts this season in all competitions) since his professional debut a little over one year.
“The media environment talks a lot about him… He was used to it with PSG. It takes on even more importance with the Blues. The important thing is that he stays as he is, natural . I called him, it’s not to create a fashion effect”, insisted Didier Deschamps at a press conference. Not a fashion statement then, but rather the discovery of a raw talent, which only remains to be polished over time.