Rennes' rising superstar Eduardo Camavinga has spoken of his debut call-up and potential France debut - as well as the pressures of being a 17-year-old with a blindingly bright future.
After a stunning last 18 months that saw Eduardo Camavinga not only make his Ligue 1 Uber Eats debut but carve out a place in Julien Stéphan's Rennes line-up and help his side to a third-placed finish - and Champions League football - it was no surprise at all to see Camavinga's name in France boss Didier Deschamps' squad for Les Bleus' upcoming UEFA Nations League clashes with Sweden and Croatia.
Nonetheless, the lad in question is not taking things lightly.
Serious business...
"Representing one's country is a great thing. It was important to me and to my family. You have to wear this jersey with honour," he said at his first press conference with the blue jersey on his shoulders. "And I wear it with great happiness and pride."
In keeping with his break-neck rise to stardom, Camavinga is on the verge of making his debut for France less than a year after obtaining French citizenship - he was born to Congolese parents in Angola before moving to France aged two - and if he does so, he will become the youngest France international of the post-war period.
... but he's got jokes
"I've seen that people are talking about that, but it's not the most important thing," he said. "First you have to complete a good internship and then stay as long as possible. Taking the field for France would be a dream, a boyhood dream even though I'm still a child [laughs]. It would be something fabulous, especially for my family and friends, something I've wanted since I was a kid."
Feet on the ground
At club level, Camavinga has already shown that he can handle the pressure that comes with such a sensational - and early - rise to prominence and the celebrated teenager hopes he can reproduce this with Les Bleus.
"I know where I come from. I know that if I do anything out of line, my parents will remind me. I'm well surrounded. I don't worry," he smiled. "Anything that happens to you, you have to be prepared for it. I started very early in Ligue 1. You always hope to play with your team one day. Thanks to my work, it happened early. You shouldn't get too stressed, just live from day to day and enjoy every moment."
