Aymeric Laporte Eyeing Euro 2020 with France

Is it not rather surprising that Aymeric Laporte is waiting for the day he’ll make his first appearance for France? The Manchester City center-back has been invited to the French national team on four occasions, yet he has not played for his country. Despite proving crucial to Manchester City in the last two seasons by helping the team to back-to-back Premier League titles, he has not found space in the national team.

Les Bleus won the World Cup in 2018 with Laporte failing to make the squad. Interestingly, teammate Benjamin Mendy who played very little football for City heading into the tournament was included in the team. Having missed out, Laporte believes he deserves to be world champion by now.

Hence, he has previously accused Didier Deschamps of leaving him out of the team for personal reasons. But the manager responded that he had many left-footed central defenders at his disposal. He went further to advise the City man to keep working hard and wait for his time.

However, it appears the former Athletic Club key man cannot wait any longer and has decided to take matters into his own hands. Having returned from a long injury layoff, the 25-year-old (who once considered playing for Spain) is ready to finally stake a claim for a place in the French side. That, with a view to featuring in the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament.

Speaking in an interview recently, the player revealed that he has held talks with Deschamps concerning his return to the team. He is now expecting a call-up for the international break fixtures at the end of March. The World champions will face Ukraine and Finland in warm-up games as preparations for the European championship in the summer begin in earnest. It’s a competition Laporte will like to be a part of. But that begins with an involvement with the team in March.

“The squad announcement in March? I look at all the squad announcements. I hope that I will be there,” Laporte said expectantly.

”It has been bouncing around my head for a while, I spoke with Didier Deschamps about coming back for Les Bleus, I am trying to show that I have the qualities to make the French national team.

”Certainly, making the Euros at the end of this year would be the best thing.”