Lepaul, Ligue 1's top scorer, living a 'waking dream' after first France call-up

Estéban Lepaul stepped through the doors of Clairefontaine for the first time on Monday at age 26, joining the France squad led by Zinédine Zidane. The Stade Rennais striker, Ligue 1’s top scorer last season, shared his impressions at a press conference on Tuesday.

“What struck me first was seeing the rooster with the two stars. That’s the most striking image of my arrival,” said the Rennes player, who admitted he got lost on his first floor at the training centre. His initiation — a song performed in front of his new teammates — was, according to him, “controlled”.

The highlight of this first day was the exchange with Zidane, who took part in the group session. “He showed he still has it. What could be better than receiving passes from Zidane? It’s a waking dream, but I want to be an active part of this gathering,” Lepaul said. Before the session, the manager presented his staff and showed a video tracing the history of the Blues. “We talked about this heritage passed down from generation to generation. It was to make us aware of everything it will represent for us,” the striker reported.

On the sporting front, Lepaul has clear ambitions for the four upcoming matches: playing time, a collective contribution, and ideally a first goal for his country. “I like to be involved in play, I love scoring goals — what could be better than being surrounded by players like Doué, Dembélé, Mbappé, Olise? It will allow me to try more things,” he said.

Far from any apprehension, the Rennes player sees this first call-up as a springboard. “I want to be an active part of this squad and what will happen next. My only desire will be to experience it again and again.”