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Toulalan targets further progress

French midfielder Jérémy Toulalan says that "everything has been going well" after emerging as one of the stars of the finals in Portugal.

There are more than 100 scouts at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, but as they run the rule over some of the continent's finest emerging talents one of the picks of the tournament is safely off limits. French midfielder Jérémy Toulalan signed a four-year contract with Olympique Lyonnais before travelling to Portugal, and the class that the 22-year-old has showed since suggests his signing could be one of the shrewdest pieces of business done this summer.

Great goal
Lyon agreed a fee rising to €7m with FC Nantes Atlantique for Toulalan, who was the driving force behind another French victory on Sunday, this time 2-0 against Serbia and Montenegro. Toulalan was the only French outfield player to start all three group games, but he showed no signs of slowing in the heat and humidity of Braga. Quite the opposite. Captain for the day in place of Rio Antonio Mavuba, he capped another tireless display with a superbly-taken goal on 53 minutes, side-footing a rising shot past Vladimir Stojković from the edge of the area. Job done, he was substituted moments later to a generous ovation from the Braga crowd.

'Going well'
"Everything has been going well," he told uefa.com. "I was a bit disappointed by my second match, otherwise things are fine, for both me and the team. We said during our training camp we would get stronger as we went along and that's what's happening. We've got off to a good start. We have to follow through because we'll be considered favourites now. We have to deal with that."

'Right choices'
That should not pose Toulalan any problems. With Lassana Diarra lying deep he was given freedom to push forward and twice in the first half he brought smart saves from Stojković either side of Bryan Bergougnoux's opening goal. Tall and strong, reminiscent of Michael Ballack, he set the pace of the game, taking time to pick his passes or laying the ball off short when under pressure. He showed his passing range with a delightful chip forward that Bergougnoux headed narrowly over. "He has everything," Diarra told uefa.com. "In attack, in defence. I enjoy playing alongside him. He goes looking for the ball, is very strong technically and can play the ball long or short. He makes the right choices. A very good player."

Exceptional midfielders
Lyon fans have grown accustomed to watching some exceptional central midfielders in recent seasons. The gap Michael Essien left behind when he joined Chelsea FC was expertly filled by Mahamadou Diarra and in Juninho Pernambucano the French champions boast another highly skilled technician. Toulalan, after five seasons at his hometown club Nantes, is looking forward to helping play a similar role in prolonging Lyon's dominance of Ligue 1.

High ambitions
"My aim is to progress, to get stronger and try and win trophies because that's what's lacking in my career," he said. "After that, it's to impose myself in the long term." There is also the UEFA Champions League to look forward to. "The most important thing is Le Championnat but after that it's true it will be great to play in Europe and the UEFA Champions League because it's the best competition. I played against FC Bayern München once [in 2001/02] and it was unforgettable."

France hopes
Toulalan was called up to the full France squad for the first time in March. He did not feature against Slovakia, but if he continues to produce this level of performance it will not be long before coach René Girard's star pupil graduates from his Under-21 finishing school.

Additional reporting David Bano

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