Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet could not hide his joy after being informed by a French reporter that Zinedine Zidane had heaped praise on the Reds' defender.
The 21-year-old Reds defender was called up to the French senior squad for the first time and impressed the iconic head coach in the 1-1 draw with Italy.
Zidane's verdict
"Very good. Very, very good," Zidane said when asked about Jacquet's display against Italy. "Brave. He wasn't afraid to come out a long way. Very good in the duels. He was, once again, very good. I said it four times."
His appearance in the draw with Italy was just his second for Les Bleus, just four days on from his debut against Belgium in a 1-0 win.
Jacquet's reaction
Michael Olise grabbed the headlines with goals on both occasions, but Jacquet was arguably France's brightest talent on the pitch in both outings.
When informed about Zidane's comments, Jacquet couldn't help but crack a big smile. The 21-year-old said he was 'very happy' to hear the praise, given the player Zidane was and how impressive he is as a coach.
Dazzling performance
L'Equipe, who are notoriously harsh with their player ratings, said the Liverpool defender was 'dazzling' in his performance against the Italians.
Jacquet completed two interceptions, two clearances, two recoveries, won four duels and completed 79 passes out of 80, but the eye test was the most encouraging sign for those watching.
His aggressiveness allowed France to win the ball back higher up the pitch and keep the pressure on Italy, with both Zidane and Andoni Iraola looking to implement a high-risk, high-reward pressing game.
"It was an instruction from the coach," Jacquet revealed after the final whistle. "He asked me to press very high up the pitch and not look behind me. I was just following that instruction."
When asked about how he was feeling after breaking into the French team, he said: "I'm quite happy. I don't feel any pressure. I'm just playing my football."
The £60million signing has already established himself as Virgil van Dijk's partner this season, starting every Premier League match.
