Arsenal youngster Matteo Guendouzi has quashed any talk of playing international football for Morocco - as that would scupper his 'dream' of appearing for the French senior side.
The budding star is eligible to play for Morocco through his father, however, after already making appearances for the French Under-18 and Under-21 sides, Guendouzi has made it clear that he has no intention of switching allegiances.
Speaking to French TV Canal Plus (via Evening Standard) Guendouzi admitted his desire to play for Les Bleus.
“Since I was young, I’ve always played with the French teams. It’s a dream to play with the France senior team. I’m hoping to get there, it’s a dream for me to make it happen.”
Talk of an international call-up has stemmed from the midfielder putting in some eye-catching display for the Gunners this season, impressing supporters with his calmness on the ball, as well as becoming a fan favourite for the emotion he displays on the pitch.
The 19-year-old was an £8m summer signing from Ligue 2 side Lorient and was being billed as 'one for the future'. However, the youngster has clearly impressed Arsenal boss Unai Emery having made nine appearances during the current Premier League campaign.
The impressive beginning to the campaign is something that Guendouzi has echoed, however he has admitted he is putting the team before individual performances, saying: “I’m very happy about my start. After that, the most important for me is the team, we’re on a good run of 15 or 16 games without a loss, which is something we need to continue on.
"We’ve drawn the last three games in the league, but we’re a very solid team, and I hope we can do great things." he added.
The former Lorient man has found game time hard to come by in recent weeks following the emergence of Uruguayan Lucas Torreira, however, he will have to take his chances whenever they come in order to impress France boss Didier Deschamps.
Source :
90min
