Rome (AFP)

He conquered Milan and Italy at high speed, with furious climbs on his left wing and decisive goals: the French Theo Hernandez had a spectacular first season with AC Milan, to the point of appearing as a candidate for The french team.

Six goals in all competitions, including five in Serie A, top scorer and probably best player of his club: not bad for a left back!

To this solid quantified assessment, "Theo", as he chose to flock his jerseys, had the good idea to add a decisive pass to the newcomer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, which cannot do any harm.

And at the end of the day, the brother of world champion Lucas Hernandez is the greatest success of the Milanese transfer window, which certainly has few, and the most reliable element of a team that will try on Friday in Brescia to confirm its start recovery.

Born in Marseille but having grown up in Spain, where his father Jean-François Hernandez lived, with whom neither he nor Lucas have any contact, Theo was trained at Atlético Madrid.

He then revealed himself on loan to Alaves before a transfer to Real Madrid, where he played only one season before being loaned to Real Sociedad and then transferred this summer to Milan for around 20 million euros.

Installed with his four dogs in a house near Lake Como, close to the Spanish speaking population, Samu Castillejo at the head, "Theo" could therefore have found stability after a tortuous start to his career.

At a post where the great Lombard club has known legends (Maldini), very great players (Serginho) but also a long recent series of stinging disappointments (Taiwo, Mesbah, Emanuelson, Constant ...), the Frenchman has in all case quickly won unanimous support, despite an injury in September which delayed its installation.

Regular, powerful, dynamic, forward-facing, Hernandez relies on percussion and his athletic strength, and has without question sent the Swiss Ricardo Rodriguez, with a more defensive profile and who has become obsolete in the face of the vitality of the Frenchman.

- Maldini, Marcelo and Lucas -

Adored by tifosi, Hernandez also benefits from the fact that he was personally chosen by Paolo Maldini, an absolute world reference in his position, who came to present him the Milanese project last summer in Ibiza.

"It is a great pride to be at the side of Maldini, the best side of all times", had also declared the French during a presentation to the press.

"As a kid, I was just inspired by him," he added, recalling that he had also been at a good school at Real, where he was the understudy of Marcelo.

The quality of its services during this first half of the season also prompted the Italian media to question a possible future in selection.

"I think he can become one of the best in the world at his post. On the selection, I have nothing to say, I already have trouble choosing my players," recently joked his coach Stefano Pioli. "But if he continues like this, it is impossible that he will go unnoticed," he added.

In the French team, the N.1 in the left-back position is his brother Lucas, currently injured. Behind him, Lucas Digne and the two Mendies, Benjamin and Ferland, do not seem inaccessible.

But Theo dragged his bad choice of June 2017, when he had snubbed a rally with the Hopes of Sylvain Ripoll for a vacation in Marbella. "A youthful mistake, bullshit," he recently pleaded in L'Equipe.

Assuming Didier Deschamps spends the towel, Euro-2020 may be a little too early for the youngest of the Hernandez.

But he has a reason to believe it, which is called Lucas. Called for the first time in Blue in March 2018, the big brother had become holder and world champion just a few months later.

© 2020 AFP