Estéban Lepaul’s phone call from France has turned a long-held childhood picture into something real. The Stade Rennais forward has been included in Zinédine Zidane’s first squad selection, a step he described as surpassing even his certainty that he would one day reach Ligue 1.
The move
Zidane named Lepaul in his inaugural France group after saying he wanted to assess the Rennes attacker’s different attributes. For Lepaul, the selection immediately brought his family to mind.
- Estéban Lepaul: Stade Rennais forward called into the France squad.
- Zinédine Zidane: France coach who selected Lepaul in his first group.
Lepaul spoke especially of his father, believing that the end of his father’s own playing career may have come at a point when an international opportunity could have been possible.
The Rennes striker called the news “madness” and a dream earned through work, success and the moments that had gone right. Wearing the shirt of his country, he said, is the highest honour available to a footballer.
The French season around it
The call-up comes with Lepaul representing Stade Rennais, while his reflections also reached back to the difficult stages of his route through the game. He said he had always trusted that he would make it to Ligue 1, even when the road was tougher, but considered a France selection to be on another level entirely.
His attachment to the national team is not new. Lepaul said he loves France, its history and its culture, and recalled his godfather telling him that he had spent his childhood singing “La Marseillaise” repeatedly.
He said he learned the anthem very young and would sing it when he woke up in the morning, often waking everyone else in the house. Now, after years of imagining that moment, Lepaul has the chance to sing it with the France squad for real.
