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 sweet 14 when he left his circle of relatives more than 350 kilometers east of Mureaux to move the lock, inventory and barrel to the education center in Rennes in 2007.
Jewel of what the club saw as a special ‘1993 generation’ – Doucoure trapped in that category, born on New Years Day 1993 – won his first foreign difference with France’s Under-16s a year after saying goodbye to his parents and their seven siblings.
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 top tourist when France’s U-17s traveled to the 2010 European Championships in Liechtenstein.
His unlimited power and self-confidence reserves allowed Doucoure to channel his into a series of influential performances for eventual semi-finalists.
Whatever awaited France at the time of Doucoure’s birth, it 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.
“In hindsight,” manager Guy Ferrier said, “I think [Doucoure] is the most productive player in his class.
Doucoure had played for the rennes under-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 are going well, the past are used to putting 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 pointed to any full-time terms, the player doubled his efforts.
He returned for an end-of-season festival with several groups under the age of 21 of elite clubs and was named player of the tournament.
The professional contract was awarded short-term, despite the fact that Doucoure needed all his patience in the roles, 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 that in his Rennes debut, scoring a 2-0 win at Stade Brest in April 2013.
In a few weeks, Doucoure would reach the time of his problems in his left knee, excluding him from France’s ultimate crusade at the U-20 World Cup.
“This [reverse] has hardened my mindset even more,” Doucoure said. “He taught me to take care of myself. I needed to get stronger, develop my muscles.
Doucoure took advantage of his rehabilitation period to lay the physical foundations for a sustained career at the level.
In addition, she is dating her cousin Ladji Doucoure, a gold medalist in the 110-meter hurdle and 4-100-meter relay at the 2005 World Athletics Championships.
“He just told me to stay focused, keep running and not be selfish,” said 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 push Watford back 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 last of the French Cup.
Released 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 in a position to move in February 2016, Doucoure was baffled to be invited immediately to help Watford’s sister club, Granada, which was engaged in a match for la Liga’s 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 his fellow Rennes graduate in 1993, Dimitri Foulquier, won five and tied 4 and in the end saved a point.
Doucoure attributes his 3 months in Spain to the refinement of the technique of his game, but aspired to a “more spectacular” Premier League.
For all, however, it gave the impression that Doucoure would return to France on loan with Lorient for the 2016/17 season.
He tied 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 start for the first time in the Premier League.
He’s never going to give the opportunity, unlike the Tottenham Hotspur at Watford’s home on Vicarage Road, to pass.
Doucoure 12 when, chosen as one of the municipal councillors of his school, managed to pressure the mayor of the city of Les Mureaux to build suitable football facilities, adding an artificial field on a large scale. 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 join the local team at the Olympic football club Les Mureaux, where he trained this summer and then sent a public message of thanks, because his mother refused to allow your child to cross the busy street. near.
Doucoure has played in all Watford Premier League matches after his full defeat, which opened his draw problems for a game opposing Southampton in March 2017.
The following 2017/18 season, the strength midfielder won, scoring seven goals and assisting 4 in a Premier League crusade when the only game was lost due to a suspension, and who ended up with Doucoure claiming Watford’s player and the player of the season as a reward.
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 on the song in the Premier League, scoring goals and assisting six in 2018/19.
The last query reflected the 2017/18 in regards to Doucoure’s appearances, 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 scorer in the Premier League with 17, Troy Deeney, and with more Premier League wins (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 a player’s career that is in his peak years with Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton.