At 22, Kylian Mbappé does not have a monopoly on the precocity records of French football. Amine Gouiri, his one-year junior, became, Sunday, November 21, the first player born in 2000 to be directly involved in at least thirty goals in Ligue 1 since he played there (31 units, with 20 goals and 11 assists).
Thanks to the double of its young striker, OGC Nice overthrew Clermont on the outside (1-2), thus seizing second place in the championship at the end of the fourteenth day. Amine Gouiri, he occupies second place in the scorers standings, tied with Rennais Gaëtan Laborde, behind Lillois Jonathan David.
Before establishing himself as one of the best gunners in Ligue 1, the striker trained at Olympique Lyonnais conquered all the French youth teams (under 16, 17, 18, 19, hopefuls ). It totals about fifty capes in these different categories.
Going back a little further, he was already found in the blue jersey at the age of 12. At the 2012 Danone Nations Cup in Poland, he walked away with the top scorer trophy. This is his club in Bourgoin-Jallieu (Isère) which then represented France in international competition.
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“Finisher talents” and “collective dimension”
Born in Bourgoin, which was at the time one of the most famous rugby areas in France, the young Amine, he thrills in front of the great Lyon of Juninho. A year after the tournament in Poland, he responds to the sirens of his favorite club, partner of the Bourgoin club, where he will cross all levels, up to the professional team.
Director of the OL academy, Jean-François Vulliez keeps the memory of a young man “Who loved football, easy to manage, hardworking. Really a good youngster… beyond the fact that he scored a lot of goals! “ (Laughs.)
His attacking profile? “He has a large build, strong and a very fast downforce frequency. Suddenly, it allows him to change direction and adjust his steps to strike in any situation ”, analyzes the director of the Rhone nursery.
“In addition to his talents as a finisher, there is at Amine this collective dimension, this ability to streamline the offensive animation of a team”, adds Sylvain Ripoll, the coach of the hopes, who outclassed him.
Compared to Karim Benzema
A Lyon hope ahead of the split times, skilful in front of the cage, turned towards the collective, which also has Algerian origins: for many, his profile recalls a certain Karim Benzema. “I am often compared to him, to me to imitate him, confided the teenager to France-Football in 2017. But I make my way on my own, without any pressure. “
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