Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin really has taken the road to the top the hard way, yet the mature Frenchman is not prepared to forget about his roots.
Coquelin, 17, started with minnows AS Bourny before his switch to division 2 side Stade Lavallois, where he was picked up by the Gunners scouts. He is now living the dream at Arsenal after making his first team debut during the 6-0 Carling Cup victory over Sheffield United, and ‘Sisco’ was awarded by his first Club last month.
Bourny president Roland Grimault (pictured) met with Francis whilst he was training with the French national team, and had only praise for his former prospect.
“He started with us when he was 10-years-old, and at 13 he joined the training centre at Lavallois, and now he is with Arsenal, in London, England.”
“Francis is definitely one of the best 10 players in the French Under 17 team.”
The tenacious and physical holding midfielder has already settled in well – and has become an instant hit with the fans, with only experience left to be added to a growing list of talents.
Coquelin was honoured by directors and past players at the Bourny festival, and yes he is destined for the very top, but it’s testament to his character that he has not forgotten the very people who gave him his first steps in the game.
Article By – J.Sanderson
Nice article J, from what i’ve read and seen he looks to be a coup for our club again !
Any news on Detinho who has been linked recently ?
“Francis is definitely one of the best 10 players in the French Under 17 team.”
Correct me If I’m wrong, but there are only 11 players in a team and if you include substitutes that would be 18 so top ten……LOL
10 Outfield players!! I do like the look of him and hope that he can be patient for the next 2 years, cos our first team midfield is pretty full at the moment, but he can go on and do great things for arsenal. Hopefully he has a bit of growth spurt too
Coquelin is a very intresting player indeed. And finally someone from the 1991 generation that shines.
By the way, Paul Rogders, Abu Ogogo and James dunne is gonna play a reserves match for nottingham forest today:
http://www.nottinghamforest.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10308~1409354,00.html
Damnde by faint praise there!! I think I know what he means. he is one of the top 10 best young players in France might have been a better way of putting it.
I agree. I think he has been a superb aquisition by us. He is just the sort of player we need in team now, but given his age clearly he is still a year or two away.
Interesting also that it looks as if we are looking to move those 3 reserve players on. I assume that means Banfield thinks they are not good enough for Arsenal level?
Hopefully we have a big cut on a sell on clause. I suspect atleast one of the three to make a solid career out for themselves. Think the likes of Dunne and Rodgers will make it to the Premiership one day.
The kind of steel that we need in the squad. He looks like he will bulk up over the next few years… Definitely one to watch. Similar to the energy that Flamini has but with WAY more talent.
Good post, as per usual.
For some reason I heard that Coquelin was a winger? No idea where that came from, but am I to understand that he’s officially a holding midfielder?
I think he is that DCM we are looking for.
Love to see him againt for CC and FA Cup.
Botelho si coming abck next season….hopefuly via Spanish passport.
Interesting to see Botelho as left-side midfielder or left-back?
Coquelin will be world class. He’s the best tackler I’ve seen in the Arsenal midfield for years and years. And that includes Lasagna Diarrhea
Is this true bout ogogo rodgers and dunne.
Qoquelin always is a joy to watch. I love tenacious and vigorous players like him who also has skill and ball control.
I really believe he can make it here.
You don’t convince me. It seems a lot more as though Bouney have not forgotten him, rather than he has not forgotten them, for which I see no evidence apart from meeting up with that oldish geezer what drove all the way to see him and give him a t-shirt (and maybe do something else there, too). Unless the evidence is that he participated in the AS Bourney festival, although it also likely that they invited him back rather than he set it all up. Or was he just home to see his mum?
I’m sure he’s a good kid, though, it’s just that your articles don’t quite support your headlines sometimes. At least in my reading of them they don’t. But I do appreciate the work that you do for us fans to keep us up to date on these youngsters.
randall86.. that link i posted was the official nottinghamforest page..
Yeah sorry. Link wasn’t working for me earlier i just saw on net that rene steer is currently playing for cheltenham reserves against bristol city there are live updates on this is gloucester site
so who is our reserves right back now. i mean agogo and a good player IMO rodgers, have been basically released. dont tell me its gavin hoyte, hes a centre back and hes doing good there.
Yet again we have bloody good young CMs we lack wide men players who are good on the right wing and left wing. The only decent winger we seem to have is wilshere whos not even a winger he better playin thru the middle, I think traore is a good winger and nasri is better in the centre. We have too many CMS we need to sell sum
I’m very excited about Coquelin, he seems to have a good engine, a very rough player who loves a tackle but a creative side to his game too, if he keeps improving he’d be a perfect partner for Cesc.
http://www.arsene-al.co.uk
I guess Gavin Hoyte will be our Right Back at Reserve level now, perhaps an u18 player will be looking at a couple of games here and there too.
http://www.arsene-al.co.uk
Perhaps Craig Eastmond?
Perhaps Anton Blackwood too if he can avoid injuries, he’s as fast as Theo, which is scary, he ran some stupid times when he was at school.
I guess it’ll make room for Sam Byles to step up full time into the u18s too.
http://www.arsene-al.co.uk
Does anyone know if the barnsley player Reuben Noble-Lazarus is any good?
coquelin has a great future; I predict he’ll be in the first team within two seasons. Also awful new about conor henderson – he’s out for the season aparently, best wishes to him.
Where did OBSERVER get the news about our 3 reserves leaving for N Forrest? because it has turned out to be true, “Inside Man” i guess
Bad news for Conor Henderson, out for the season, real blow for him.
Never heard of Reuben Noble-Lazarus before last night, I guess he’s one of those promising young players, whether he steps up or goes down the route of Lee Holmes is another question.
There’s no room for Coquelin. Cesc, Ramsey, Nasri, Wilshire, Vela, Walcott are ahead of him full stop. Then you have people like Meridia, Brazaite, Bichoff, Lansbury, Randall waiting in line. Cesc and Nasri will be sold on in two years for 200 million. Arsenal’s lineup thereafter will be:
Bentner Vela
Barazaite Ramsey Wilshire Walcott
Clichy Dourjou Noveit Hoyte
Nice article J.
I like this guy – he’s got some ticker and talent. I don’t think any of our other prospective CM partners for Cesc could be described as “tenacious and physical holding midfielders”.
Of course Bischofff remains a totally unknown quantity. But we’ve been quite exposed in recent games for lack of a defensive midfielder who can plug the hole in front of the back 4. Maybe Denilson and co should watch some old footage of Gilberto.
WE definitely need a proper holding midfield player, and this lad fits the bill. After just two viewings I am very pleased with what I see, he is tough and tenacious, but also very skillful, and will fit in with our style of play.
Coquelin is a very promising prospect. He is a ball winner in the mould of Diarra, with the engine of Flamini. He is not a “holding” player in the mould of Gilberto.
EU jogo futebol melhor que vcs
If thats true about Henderson,sorry to hear.Looked a top player for his age group.
YOUNG GUNS SUCK! WE HAD THIS LAYOUT YEARS BEFORE YOU! Ha, and you were the one who insulted OUR layout! Stupid hypocrite.
— http://tubbotwins.wordpress.com —
Didn;t coquelin come on as a sub against Sheffield Utd as a marauding left back> Just what position does this guy play in!?
“There’s no room for Coquelin. Cesc, Ramsey, Nasri, Wilshire, Vela, Walcott are ahead of him full stop. Then you have people like Meridia, Brazaite, Bichoff, Lansbury, Randall waiting in line. Cesc and Nasri will be sold on in two years for 200 million. Arsenal’s lineup thereafter will be:”
Yea but Coquelin is the only out and out DM on that list, so the only players that really affect him are Randall, Landsbury, Bischoff and Ramsey, who arent out and out DM except arguably Landsbury but can play that role, and there is room for two of them to make it. Ramsey will bar a terible injury of something of the like, Coquelin may easily prove to be better than Randall and Landsbury, which leaves Bischoff who still is yet to be seen. He may be brilliant he may be crap, he may be somewhere inbetween and he may yet prove to be a gonner in terms of injury proness and we’ll end up nursing him back to some sort of sustainable health so he can have some form of future in football much like Ryan garry. Not that im saying it’d be a bad thing to do, quite the opposite, but it’d leave the way open to coquelin.
Hes got decent pace, good tackling and passing abilities, doesnt get carried away and has great work rate and determination about him, from what ive seen anyway. Niether Randall nor Landsbury have all that, although they do have a the goal threat factor which Coquelin has yet to show.