France coach Didier Deschamps has labelled Benjamin Pavard a new “star” after his tremendous performance in the World Cup in Russia. The player also won the best goal of the tournament for his breathtaking volley against Argentina.
Pavard won the best goal of the tournament for his crunching volley against Argentina.
Pavard, 22, exceeded expectations to start all but one match in Russia as Les Bleus were crowned champions for the second time. The Stuttgart defender is now reportedly the target of interest from top clubs in England and Germany.
Bayern Munich and Tottenham have both been strongly linked with the former Lille man and Deschamps says the recognition is richly deserved.
Deschamps told kicker:
“Despite their former status and some inexperience at this level, Benjamin Pavard and Lucas [Hernandez] were brilliant and stabilised the defence. These two fighters made a big difference. Benjamin has become a star and he deserves it. He’s not so media-focused. He’s very friendly, appreciated by his team-mates, and has an incredible amount of self-confidence.”
“He once said to me: ‘I’m not afraid of anyone!’ So I told him: ‘You can think that, but never say it to the media.”
France return to competitive action in September with a trip to Munich for their opening UEFA Nations League fixture.
Deschamps endorsed Germany’s decision to retain Joachim Low despite the ignominy of a group-stage exit in Russia. He revealed his “great appreciation” for the 2014 World Cup-winning coach.
“It will be a great pleasure for me [to see Low],” he said. “Continuity is very important for national teams… [it’s] better for the players and also the coach.”
The transfer window has still a lot of drama to offer and before the deadline, it’s difficult to say where Pavard will be heading to.