‘He has progressed a lot’ – Deschamps on Doué senior France call-up

It’s been quite the week for Paris Saint-Germain attacker Desiré Doué (19). After scoring the winning penalty in the Champions League Round of 16 against Liverpool to see PSG through to the quarter-finals, the former Rennes man has now earned his first senior call-up to the France national team. 

Didier Deschamps announced a 24-man squad this afternoon as Les Bleus face Croatia in a Nations League Quarter-Final double-header which will take place on the 20th and 23rd of March. Justifying his choice of Doué during his press conference, Deschamps said it was the “right moment” to call up the 19-year-old and that he has done “everything good that there was to do” with his club PSG over the last few months. “He has made a lot of progress,” said Deschamps.“I could have called him up later,” admitted Deschamps at the French Football Federation headquarters in Paris. Yet he justified his selection of Doué rather than Maghnes Akliouche of AS Monaco and Lyon’s Rayan Cherki because the youngster “has the advantage of versatility in attack and midfield.”

GFFN | George Boxall