He grew up in the same town as Diego Maradona, was Argentina's biggest fan after narrowly missing out on their FIFA World Cup win in Qatar, and has helped morph Lens into genuine challengers for a top-two finish in the Ligue 1 Uber Eats table - ligue1.com focusses in on the Blood-and-Gold's Argentine centre-back Facundo Medina.
Back story
Hector Yazalde played for Marseille in the mid-1970s, winning the 1975/76 Coupe de France, and was an Argentina international. Claudio Garcia never played in France, but did also represent the South American nation. Don't remember them? Never heard of them? OK. But you do know two more players who grew up in Villa Fiorito just outside Buenos Aires: Diego Maradona, and Facundo Medina.
Medina is unlikely to scale the heights of El Pibe de Oro, but the Lens centre-back has joined the three other professional footballers to emerge from his hometown by pulling on the iconic blue-and-white striped shirt of their country at senior level.
That didn't necessarily look like it would be the case when he was released by River Plate — who along with Boca Juniors dominate the football landscape in the Argentine capital — and joined the more modest Talleres in 2018. But his impressive displays for the Cordoba-based club — for whom he made just 37 appearances — and his solid performances for Argentina's U23 side caught Lens' eye, convincing them to hand him a four-year deal in summer 2020.
Watch: Medina scores a spectacular volley against Strasbourg
Style of play
Trying to pin Medina down to one role is only slightly easier than it has been for Ligue 1 Uber Eats forwards to get the better of him. Though he has many strings to his bow, as the left-sided centre-back of Lens' trio he has shown time and again defending is very much a forté. He can slot in at left-back in a four-man defence, and has also proved his ability to get forward from both positions, using the ball effectively when in the opponent's final third.
Current campaign
After two promising seasons in France, the 2022/23 campaign is no doubt Medina's best so far. He had racked up a double-digit tally of yellow cards in both seasons prior to this one, but has picked up just five this term ahead of Round 33, and having Medina on the pitch consistently has done both Lens and the man himself good.
Watch: Facundo Medina scores the decisive goal at Angers
As solid as ever at the back, his understanding with Kevin Danso and Jonathan Gradit in particular has moved onto a telepathic plain and has made a huge contribution to Franck Haise's side boasting the stingiest defensive record in the division. "Each of us knows our job and our role in the defence," said Medina to explain the trio's effectiveness in keeping opponents at bay. "We've played a lot of matches together, so we have built understanding. One of our strong points is communication, which is crucial."
Among the players selected as part of the initial enlarged squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Medina eventually missed out on the final tournament in Qatar. Instead, he watched his country's victory over France in the final on TV with his family in northern France.
What they said
"Winning must be the only goal, all the time. That's what I have in mind every time I go onto the pitch and I try to 'infect' my teammates with that energy." Facundo Medina
"He's also a character. That's why we absolutely wanted this player two-and-a-half years ago. He wasn't at this level, that's for sure. He's got grit, he's a very good defender and a very good player on the ball. You don't play for Argentina for no reason." Lens coach Franck Haise
