Photo by ANP via Getty Images
Photo by ANP via Getty Images
Liverpool fans already knew they had a potential superstar on their hands in Jeremy Jacquet after the 21-year-old made an abnormally composed start to his career with the Reds.
But having more than earned his first ever call-up to the France national team, he has proven it beyond any reasonable doubt during the international break.
Jacquet has been praised by Zinedine Zidane after another composed outing against Italy on Friday, and when put together with his debut performance during the 1-0 win over Belgium last Monday, it is clear that the youngster has now overtaken former Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate in the pecking order.
Liverpool DP
Liverpool DP
Jacquet was almost perfect against Belgium
Given he directly replaced him in the Liverpool squad and even took his old shirt number, it is impossible not to compare Jacquet against Konate.
It would have been fascinating to see who Zidane would have picked had the former Red been fit to play for France this international window, but after Konate withdrew, his future participation has surely been thrown into doubt.
The 27-year-old was already behind Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba and Maxence Lacroix in the running, and Jacquet’s emergence has likely pushed him out of that top four. In fact, so good has the Liverpool No. 5 been, that he could now rival both Upamecano and Saliba for a regular starting spot.
It all started against Belgium, when Jacquet was perhaps a surprise name on the teamsheet having been left out of the XI for the opening game of the window against Turkey, when Upamecano and Lacroix played.
READ MORE: What Milos Kerkez did to Giorgi Mamardashvili after scoring past Liverpool teammate for Hungary
But if any France fans had doubts over whether Jacquet was ready, they were quickly dispelled. The former Rennes defender was flawless, making four tackles, three clearances and four recoveries, while also posting a 92% pass success rate and winning six of his nine duels.
Lacroix had a good game as well, but there is a feeling that the Chelsea player is not quite at an elite level. For the time being at least, Jacquet is showing that he most definitely is – or certainly will be. For Konate, he must have watched his Liverpool replacement’s display with a growing sense of dread that his place in the France squad is in danger.
Jacquet follows up with Italy masterclass
If Jacquet was good against Belgium, then he was even better when France faced Italy in Paris on Friday night.
The expectation had probably been that Zidane would return to the pairing of Upamecano and Lacroix for the clash with the Italians, but it said plenty that he stuck with Jacquet instead. This was clearly the manager rewarding him for a top performance and challenging him to go and do it again.
While Italy are certainly not the force they once were, and a front line of Sebastiano Esposito, Pio Esposito and Moise Kean is not exactly elite, it was still a test for Jacquet in his first appearance as a French international at the Stade de France.
Predictably, though, the Liverpool man came up trumps again, making three tackles, one block, three clearances, two interceptions and two recoveries to show that the Belgium game was not a one-off.
He completed all 79 of his passes, played five out of five accurate long balls and even managed to create a chance. Four out of seven duels were successful, and Jacquet even showed off his ability to step into midfield. All in all, it was about the perfect follow-up to his outing against Belgium.
France still have one more match to play before Jacquet heads back to Liverpool, which comes in the shape of another clash with the Belgians on Monday. With Upamecano suspended, it is highly likely that Jacquet goes again, probably paired with Lacroix.
Although Liverpool fans will have nerves over seeing him play three times in such quick succession before a crucial run of games for the Reds, they will surely delight in seeing him become one of the big new hopes of such an important football nation. Konate could never quite break into the full-time France XI during his time at Anfield, but in Jacquet, Liverpool and Les Bleus look like they have already upgraded.