Jeremy Jacquet has gone from uncapped to acclaimed in the space of four days. The Liverpool defender won his first France call-up this month, started against Belgium, then backed it up against Italy, and Zinedine Zidane liked what he saw enough to say so publicly. The Jeremy Jacquet Zidane praise that followed has turned a routine squad announcement into one of the more pleasing Liverpool stories of the week.
France beat Belgium 1-0 before drawing 1-1 with Italy, and Michael Olise scored in both matches. Jacquet made his second senior appearance in that Italy game, and L’Équipe reportedly called him ‘dazzling’. That description, relayed by the original Liverpool Echo report, sits alongside Zidane’s own verdict on the same performance.
Why Zidane’s praise matters for Liverpool
Zinedine Zidane’s words land because he has nothing to gain from empty praise. He gave Jacquet two separate mentions after the Italy game, telling reporters:
“Brave. He wasn’t afraid to come out a long way. Very good in the duels. He was, once again, very good. I said it four times.”
That is a manager repeating himself for emphasis. That is the clearest sign yet that the Jeremy Jacquet Zidane praise is built on substance, not sentiment.
We don’t need a stat sheet to see why Liverpool fans are paying attention. Jacquet already had support inside the club, with Alisson’s praise pointing to how well he has settled since the Bournemouth win. The Van Dijk comparison before that said much the same about what senior players see in him. Zidane’s comments add something different: validation built from two matches at the very top level.
What Jacquet’s France outings actually show
The facts behind the headline are simple enough. Jacquet started against Belgium as France won 1-0, then started again four days later as Italy were held to a 1-1 draw. Michael Olise scored in both games, which may say the result was no one-man show, yet Jacquet’s own contribution is what caught the eye on both nights.
Jacquet was refreshingly honest about why it worked.
“It was an instruction from the coach,” he said, before explaining further:
“He asked me to press very high up the pitch and not look behind me. I was just following that instruction.”
He sounded just as level about the bigger picture.
“I’m quite happy. I don’t feel any pressure. I’m just playing my football,” Jacquet said, a tidy summary from a player who went from uncapped to internationally praised inside a week. Supporters who followed his France debut will recognise the same calm that has carried him from Belgium to Italy without a hint of nerves.
What this could mean next for Liverpool and France
None of this guarantees Jacquet a fixed place in every France squad to come, and it changes nothing about his situation at Liverpool this season. Two caps and one glowing verdict are an early marker. But Zidane does not repeat himself for nothing, and saying “very good” four times about the same player, in the same answer, is about as emphatic as it gets from a manager.
What it does confirm is that Jacquet is now a face France watchers recognise. For Liverpool, there is value in that too. He is a defender settling into international football while still adjusting to the Premier League week in, week out, and tends to return to his club with more composure.
The next international break will say more about where this goes. For now, Jacquet has given Zidane reason to praise, and that is a real result for a player who, a fortnight ago, had never worn the senior shirt.
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