French team: Marcus Thuram, "son of" again Blue

It is a prestigious name that is making a comeback in the French team.

Thursday, coach Didier Deschamps unveiled his list of players summoned for the last gathering of the Blues in 2020, and appealed, to everyone's surprise, to the young striker Marcus Thuram, son of one of the legends of the selection, Lilian Thuram.

Europe 1 presents this talented center-forward, who is one of the main revelations of the start of the season on the European scene. 

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The son of a legend of the Blues

Marcus Thuram arrives in the French team with a very prestigious name.

His father, Lilian Thuram, is none other than the record holder of selections for the Blues (142), and was part of the glorious generation that won in quick succession the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. But Didier Deschamps l 'ensures, the name of Marcus Thuram played nothing in his decision.

"I think it must make his daddy Lilian very happy, 'Tutu', but it takes second or third place. The merit is Marcus who has it," he slipped Thursday.

A powerful and explosive attacker

23-year-old Marcus Thuram is a tall striker (1.92 meters) and on the pitch his physical power and explosiveness, rare for a player of this size, have made him one of the revelations of the German championship.

He defines himself as "an attacker who likes to create, who likes to pass, score. An attacker who enjoys playing the offensive game of his team." 

A constant progression

Marcus Thuram rose through the ranks one by one.

First in Sochaux, then in Guingamp, and finally in the German club Borussia Mönchengladbach, which he joined in the summer of 2019. And on the lawns of the Bundesliga, the player is making a name for himself, in being one of the revelations of last season with 10 league goals.

This season, his double in the Champions League against Real Madrid of Zidane (2-2), on October 27, completed the highlight. 

"He went to the next level with his club. He has the ability to create differences, with a lot of power, percussion. He scores, he scores, has this ability in big matches to be often present and good", argued Didier Deschamps during his press conference. 

A committed player 

But Marcus Thuram didn't stand out just for his footballing exploits.

Like his father, very committed to societal issues and in particular the fight against racism, the young striker did not hesitate to put one knee to the ground to celebrate a goal, on May 31, in order to pay tribute to George Floyd, the African-American father of a family killed by police at the end of May in Minneapolis, United States.

He was the first footballer to use this symbolic gesture, and the photo had been around the world.