Alexandre Dalifard / Photo credit: MATTHIEU MIRVILLE / DPPI VIA AFP
“Warren Zaire-Emery”. These words, the young prodigy of Paris Saint-Germain was waiting to hear them from the mouth of Didier Deschamps. This Thursday, it’s done. The Blues coach called the 17-year-old hopeful for the first time in the A team ahead of the Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Gibraltar (November 18) and Greece (November 21). If he were to play against one of the two nations, Warren Zaire-Emery would become the youngest player in the history of the French team since 1914. Find out who is this PSG talent who continues to break records of precocity.
“It’s an example”
“If I were coach, I would select Warren every time. He is exemplary and incredible and I thank PSG for having such a young player. He is a good example, he works every day in training and in -outside for his studies. He’s an example on and off the field,” coach Luis Enrique praised at a press conference after the match between Paris Saint-Germain and Montpellier (on November 3, victory 3 -0 from PSG).
A meeting during which the French prodigy was a scorer. The advice of the Spanish coach, coach Didier Deschamps, listened to him. And yet, Warren Zaire-Emery’s professional future only began in July 2022.
Since then, everything has happened so quickly for the young Frenchman. Less than a month after signing his first professional contract which binds him to his training club, PSG, until 2025, the midfielder becomes at 16 years, four months and 29 days, the youngest player in the league. The history of Paris Saint-Germain after coming into play against Clermont on August 6, 2022 (5-0 victory for PSG).
Launched into the deep end by Christophe Galtier, the Parisian gem does not stop there and goes even further. On October 25, 2022, then aged 16 years and seven months, Warren Zaire-Emery beat the Parisian club’s record for precociousness in the Champions League by one year. Subsequently, we will have to wait until February 1, 2023 to see him score his first goal with PSG. And once again, the young star breaks a precocity record and becomes the youngest scorer in the club’s history in Ligue 1.
Captain of the Bleuets at just 17 years old
But it’s not just in clubs that the French nugget catches the eye. Warren Zaire-Emery is traveling to Clairefontaine for the first time with the France U17 team for Euro 2022 organized in Israel. In this young Blues team, he is the only player to be born in 2006. Not enough to impress the Parisian who established himself as a starter and who even won the title of best player in the competition after winning the Euro against in the Netherlands (2-1). But the young prodigy does not intend to stop there and sees further.
If the PSG midfielder has just been selected with the A team, it is good to remember that he was called up for the first time with the hopes, led by Thierry Henry, only in September 2023. Despite his young age, only 17 years old, Warren Zaire-Emery was named captain of the French youth team by the former Blues striker. “I knew very well what was in his head and what he could do with his feet, but I wanted to know what was in his stomach. He responded well,” explained Thierry Henry on the captaincy of the young Parisian.
And almost two months after being chosen as captain of the French junior team, he is already called up on Didier Deschamps’ list. News which deprives Thierry Henry of his captain but which he is delighted with. “I’m very happy for him. He deserves it with his performances, his education, how he’s doing… I could talk about him for hours. I take my hat off to the parents, he’s very well looked after. J “I hope not to see him again and that he will stay with the A’s as long as possible”, reacted the Bleuets coach after the selection of Warren Zaire-Emery by “DD”.
A key player for Euro 2024?
And why not Euro 2024? After winning Euro 2022 with the French U17 team, Warren Zaire-Emery could do well in Germany with the A next summer. A meteoric rise. A possibility that the Blues coach does not rule out. “Warren is a candidate for the next Euro. He is a complete midfielder at his age. He must be able to express it with the France A team. I do not choose to put players on the field compared to their date of birth”, reacted Didier Deschamps after the announcement of his player list.
In the meantime, this first selection delighted the Paris Saint-Germain squad who showed him all their pride. The club’s players ran into the prodigy’s room to celebrate this call-up with him. It must be said that Warren Zaire-Emery has been making PSG smile since the start of the season. This year, the 17-year-old young player is in great form with the Parisian club. The midfielder already has two goals and two assists in Ligue 1, but above all, the prodigy has three assists in the Champions League after just four days. Now, it is up to him to confirm this precocity.