They are very proud of their production line in Rennes, a great success and an established Ligue 1 club.
Mikael Silvestre his decorated career with two-time French champion and the same goes for Sylvain Wiltord, two-time Premier League champion with Arsenal and scorer when France beat Italy in the Euro Cup final 20 years ago.
More recently, Barcelona have paid out over € 100 million for Ousmane Dembele, the livewire ahead of Rennes before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2016.
It is, however, Abdoulaye Doucoure, whose call is fondly uttered at the Breton club.
Doucoure was a tender 14 when he left his circle of relatives more than 220 miles east in Les Mureaux to move the padlock, inventory and barrel to the Rennes educational center in 2007.
Jewel of what the club is a special “generation of 1993” – Doucoure in this category, born on New Year’s Day 1993 – won his first foreign difference with the French under-16s a year after saying goodbye to his parents and seven brothers.
However, Doucoure’s popularity in Rennes is not only due to his herbal visual talent.
No, Doucoure won favor for his humble and unffected personality and spirit and stamina that allowed him to recover from two knee injuries that would have knocked out many men and footballers.
The clubbable detail of Doucoure’s character made him the best tourist when the French under-17s went to the 2010 European Championships in Liechtenstein.
His limitless power and reserves of self-confidence allowed Doucoure to channel his into a series of influential performances for eventual semifinalists.
Whatever awaited France at the time of Doucoure’s birth, he created serious footballers.
Doucoure’s teammates in 1993 included Paul Pogba, Samuel Umtiti, the half-winning centre of the Barcelona World Cup and Everton’s new colleague Lucas Digne.
“Looking back,” manager Guy Ferrier said, “I tell myself that he [Doucoure] is the most productive player in his class.
Doucoure had played for Rennes U-19, two years above him, at this stage.
He returned from the tournament with France, who lost 2-1 to England in the quarterfinals, with Doucoure introducing Pogba for his team’s goal, to start getting matches for Rennes B, who play in the fourth division of France. . domestic structure.
However, when things go well, the gods of sport have a habit of using an iron.
Doucoure’s stroke took the form of a left knee injury in early 2010/11. Instead of wallowing, and there will have to be some anxiety as he had not yet signed any full-time terms, the player doubled his efforts.
He returned for the season-ending festival with several elite Under-21 club groups and was named Player of the Tournament.
The professional contract was awarded in the short term, Doucoure needed all his patience in the role, he learned, he said, as the youngest of 8 young people waiting for his departure to the PlayStation family circle, before making his senior debut.
“You have to make sure you’re in one position when your turn comes,” Doucoure said in his PlayStation wait.
How he implemented this in his debut for Rennes, scoring in a 2-0 win at Stade Brest in April 2013.
In a few weeks, Doucoure would suffer the moment of his left knee problems, which ruled him out of France’s final crusade at the U-20 World Cup.
“This [reverse] has hardened my mentality even more,” said Doucoure. “He taught me to take care of myself. I needed to get stronger, develop my muscles.
Doucoure took advantage of his era of rehabilitation to lay the physical foundation for a sustained top-level career.
In addition, she is dating her cousin Ladji Doucoure, a gold medalist in the 110-meter hurdles and the four * 100-meter relay at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics.
“He just told me to stay focused, keep running and not be selfish,” explained Doucoure, who lived with Ladji in Paris for a month during his recovery.
“Part of the explanation I sought out for a footballer was to financially help my circle of family and friends, so that’s one of the minds that allowed me to continue.
In fact, it was the positioning of his family on a pedestal that convinced Doucoure to drive Watford away in the summer of 2015.
He had regained his form in an instant after a return to Rennes midway through the 2013/14 season, scoring six goals and offering five assists in 20 league games and propelling the team to the bottom of the Coupe de France.
Free from fitness problems, he made 41 appearances the following season, contributing directly to 11 goals, but with his pregnant wife, the timing was not right when Watford asked him to move to England.
When he was able to move in in February 2016, Doucoure was taken aback when he was swiftly asked to turn over attendance at assistant sister club Watford, Granada, which was locked in a bout for La Liga survival.
Watford told him, “We have a lot of midfielders here and you have to spend attendance on the descent of Granada,” Doucoure said, adding, suggesting that his efforts in Spain were all on a race day, “I did exactly this. “
Of the thirteen appearances he started in La Liga, Granada, where Doucoure teamed up with rennes’ 1993 graduate Dimitri Foulquier won five and tied 4 and in the end was saved by one point.
Doucoure attributes his 3 months in Spain to the technical aspect of his game, but he longed for a “more spectacular” Premier League.
For all, however, it was learned that Doucoure will return to France with Lorient for 2016/17.
He held himself to his seat on the runway at Luton Airport when news was leaked through documents confirming that the deal had arrived with FIFA 33 seconds late.
Doucoure had to wait until his 24th birthday, New Year’s Day 2017, to make his first start in the Premier League.
He will never give the opportunity, unlike Tottenham Hotspur at Watford’s home on Vicarage Road, to pass.
Doucoure was 12 when, elected as one of his school’s municipal councillors, he effectively pressured the mayor of the city of Les Mureaux to build suitable football facilities, adding a large-scale artificial field. which is a hotbed of activity today.
His motivation came here from the fact that he had to wait until he was 11 years old to sign up for the local team at the Les Mureaux Olympic football club, where he trained this summer and then sent a public message of thanks, because his mother refused to do what. Allow your child to cross the busy street. near.
Doucoure has played in all Watford Premier League matches after his full defeat, opening his draw problems for a game opposing Southampton in March 2017.
The following 2017/18 season, the energetic midfielder reached the top, scoring seven goals and assisting 4 in a Premier League crusade when the only game that was lost due to a suspension, and that ended with Doucoure claiming Watford’s player. and player of the season awards.
Back in Rennes, they were filled with pride when the club’s Final French Cup win over Paris Saint-Germain preceded Doucoure, which led Watford to score a two-goal deficit against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup semi-finals.
He remained in song in the Premier League, scoring goals and assisting six in 2018/19.
The last legislature reflected the 2017/18 regarding the appearances of Doucoure, the player failed once after accumulating an extra yellow card.
He contributed six goals, scoring 4, and made more passes (1678) than any of his teammates.
Doucoure leaves Watford as the club’s most sensible premier in the Premier League with 17, Troy Deeney, and with more Premier League victories (38) than Denney and fellow midfielder Etienne Capoue.
His total of 129 appearances in the department for Watford is surpassed, again, through centre forward Deeney and Capoue.
Back in Rennes, they will be on the lookout for the alummen of the academy this season, adding Tiemoue Bakayoko, who spent last season in Monaco on loan from Chelsea, former Porto yacine star Brahimi and young Barca talent. I dembélé.
However, special attention will be paid to Abdoulaye Doucoure and the next level of the career of a player who is in his peak years with Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton.