Saint-Denis (AFP)

"Beep-beep", that's Jonathan Ikoné! The Lille striker came off as a rocket in the French team, succeeding on Tuesday a successful match against Andorra (3-0) for his first tenure, three days after a smashing entry to Albania.

In Blues, there are those who break the gait, like Samuel Umtiti at the Russian World Cup, and there are those who break the barracks. N.22 is part of the second family, as he proved in front of a Stade de France amazed by his flashes.

Head down throughout the Marseillaise, the 21-year-old raised it at the kickoff to showcase his talent: a first incursion into the Andorran surface (2nd) set the tone, a double contact along the sideline (8th) pushed up the temperature even further.

Then comes the blow of brilliance: a ball recovered by Moussa Sissoko and Ikoné embarks on a long ride concluded by a delightful pass between the lines for Kingsley Coman, the first scorer tricolor (1-0, 18th).

Subtlety, speed and precision, Ikoné has taken out of his hat the complete panoply of the player who seduced Didier Deschamps for this gathering of re-entry not to miss, in view of the qualification for the Euro-2020.

Able to evolve behind the center-forward or on one side, he mixes "his specific qualities of speed, provocation, much in percussion, and with an efficiency, that it is in assists and goals, which is interesting" the coach said when summoning him.

Despite the shower of compliments, Lille did not lose the North and gave reason to the boss of the world champions.

- "Ball in the belly" -

Already, in Saturday's victory against Albania (4-1), the Dogue had bitten into the ball and scored his first goal eight minutes after coming into play. It was eight years, by the way, that a French international had no longer found the nets during his baptism of fire.

It was Younès Kaboul and Marvin Martin, facing Ukraine in June 2011 in Donetsk, and Ikoné can dream of a better destiny in the selection, he who hints at good expectations at nine months of the Euro.

"It's an unforgettable evening", had appreciated in the mixed zone the one who had become one of the heroes of the evening, rewinding the fantasized memories of the previous days: "In my film, there was a goal, my film went well and I'm really happy, I hope it's going to turn into a series "but" we'll see what happens, "he said.

During the next episode, the "super-sub" (super-substitute) became holder and that did not seem to make him tremble either.

Yet the former member of the "beep-beep" connection, formed in Lille with Jonathan Bamba and Nicolas Pepe (since gone to Arsenal), had the jitters before laying his bags at Clairefontaine.

Since the announcement of the list, "I had trouble sleeping at first, I was scared, a little lump in the stomach but now it's better," he confessed frankly for his first press conference.

In this rather intimidating exercise, the Paris SG-trained player played the card of humility and determination, even distilling amusing anecdotes about his common past with Kylian Mbappé, another famous Bondy child in Seine-Saint-Denis. .

"In the playground, the teachers did not want us to be on the same team so we each did a team," he had slipped into a smile.

Ironically, it is the package of Mbappé who opened the door of the Blues in September. It remains to be seen if Deschamps will call him back in October for the decisive meetings against Iceland and Turkey.

Meanwhile, the coach has made it out soon after the hour of play against Andorra, with two gifts: a hug supported, and a sustained ovation from the Stade de France.

© 2019 AFP