Red-hot teen 'ready to suffer'

'Football is my life'

Before crossing the Channel to try his luck in the Premier League, Kroupi played for his hometown club Lorient in France's first and second divisions.

He signed for Bournemouth in February of this year, and was loaned back to Lorient as he prepared for the future, torn between "the sadness of leaving (his) city and club, and the excitement of discovering something new".

In his final season for Lorient playing in Ligue 2, he netted 22 goals across 30 appearances.

"He has character, he knows where he wants to go and he doesn't doubt himself," France Under-21 coach Gerald Baticle said.

The striker has also enjoyed an impressive start with the France U21 side, scoring three goals in five outings.

Baticle praised Kroupi's "opportunism and finishing skills", as well as his personality.

He is a "cheerful, radiant boy, who is very pleasant to both the staff and his teammates", the coach added.

"Football is my life. If I didn't have that, I don't know where I'd be today," Kroupi said.

"I live my job to the fullest, because I don't know when it might end."

While Kroupi is, by his own admission, the type to "live day-by-day", he nonetheless said: "I have dreams, I have goals.

"But, for now, I'm not thinking about that, just about performing and helping my team, that's all."

AFP