Yoann Gourcuff: Puttin' in work and counting his Bordeaux blessingsObertan rose to Bordeaux's attention while trianing at the famed Clairefontaine academy. After only a year on the reserves, Obertan was given a three year professional contract and handed his Ligue Un debut at the age of 17. Never really favored at Bordeaux, though, Obertan left for the greener pastures of the Northwest, moving to Man Utd this summer for an undisclosed fee.
Obertan's arrival was met with an injury set-back (a back problem he had apparently been playing with for the past year and a half!), and he is still undergoing treatment for the problem. His recent back troubles have not put United's boss off, however. Per Sir Alex, Obertan is "very quick, he can play both sides or through the middle and he brings a real versatility to us...we expect big things from him." Would this be like what your were thinking, Fergie?
Present Prodigy: Yoann Gourcuff
He's the reigning Ligue Un Player of the Year (it's got a nice ring to it, non?) and is already drawing comparisons to none other than Zizou by Zizou himself. Since returning to Girodins de Bordeaux from the crypt of AC Milan (where, as it has been previously noted, young talent goes to die [see Pato] and mature talent goes out to pasture [see Ronaldinho]), all Gourcuff has been able to manage is a famous double: the league title (ending Lyon's 7 year choke hold on the crown) and the French League Cup. You know, the usual.
Gourcuff's deftness with the ball and natural goal-scoring ability make him an invaluable part of the plans of both club and country. In regards to the latter, the embattled Raymond Domench hoping to utilize him in Zizou's former role, for which a suitable replacement has not been found (want evidence? see Les Bleus' offensive output during Euro 2008). Indeed, Gourcuff has the potential to be WC 2010's breakout star, while helping to restore France to its former footballing glory, just as he did with Bordeaux.
Historic Hotshot: Zinedine Zidane
Conceivably a case could be made for putting Eric Catona here, but we're going with Zizou because if our Present Prodigy selection is based on his qualifications as "Petit Zizou," then we obvi have to give (deserved) props to the original.
Just on accolades alone, Zizou's up there with the best of them. He lead Les Blues to the 1998 World Cup title (and the finals in 2006 with an altogether different, though no less memorable, ending), while also helping France win Euro 2000. As an original galactico, he won the 2002 Champions League with Real Madrid. Individually, he is a three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner in 1998, 200, and 2003, making him one of only two players to be so honored (the other being fat Ronaldo...oh, how far they fall...). In 1998, he was also named European Footballer of the Year and Ballon d'Or winner. Perhaps, best of all, Zizou was included on Pele's list of all-time greats (really, who better than the best to tell you how good you actually are?).
Zizou will surely be best remembered for the exceptionally graceful play warranting those awards, rather than any UFC style on-the-pitch infamy. Zizou was the perfect combination of ballet-like on the ball skills with an aptitude for scoring goals. The beautiful game is rightly called such, when Zidane plays it.
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