Gourcuff bouncing back with Bordeaux

Although Zinédine Zidane has only been gone from the game for two-and-a-half years, the list of players anointed as his rightful successor is long. Several have faded after struggling with the added expectation, but FC Girondins de Bordeaux midfielder Yoann Gourcuff seems to be cast from more durable stock, having caught the eye during his team's UEFA Champions League run following a disappointing spell in Italy.

'I'm happy'
The 22-year-old's star is very much on the rise again after his two largely anonymous years at AC Milan, where he made just 13 Serie A starts, with the likes of Kaká, Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo blocking his path to the first team. Loaned out to Bordeaux in the summer, Gourcuff could easily have returned to his homeland nursing doubts about his talent, but wisely he has treated the move as a fresh start. "I'm still very young, so I've got a long way to progress and I think the way to progress is by playing consecutive matches," said the former Stade Rennais FC prodigy. "Since coming back to France, I've been playing a lot more and I've had the chance to play every three days. I'm happy. I can feel the confidence my team-mates have in me."

Confidence back
Bordeaux are happy too, the gifted passer having scored three goals and provided four assists in his 17 Ligue 1 games this term, as well as a pair of strikes in Les Marine et Blanc's failed UEFA Champions League campaign. "It's been going really well," added Gourcuff, whose father Christian is coach of Ligue 1 rivals FC Lorient. "I've been putting in good performances. Every now and again, I try to do something telling by scoring goals or getting assists, so that's been interesting. In the last few months, I've felt myself getting my confidence back and that's very important, because when a player has confidence he can make the most of his potential."

France regular
Becoming a regular for the French national team cannot have hurt his self-belief either, Gourcuff's 35-metre screamer against Romania having sealed his place in first-XI reckoning for some time to come. Capped six times since making his debut against Sweden in August, he has been a breath of fresh air in the French game this term, thrilling crowds with his turns and tricks and inevitably inviting comparisons with former Bordeaux legend Zidane. "I try not to pay attention to that," he said. "Everyone has their own style of play and while there may be some similarities, especially in our body language, I think everyone's different on the pitch."

Milan memories
Unfazed by talk of glorious predecessors and comfortable with his role as Bordeaux's creative spark, Gourcuff credits his Milan experience with having helped him mature as a person. "It's very intimidating when you arrive at AC Milan; it's a completely different world. Being in the dressing room next to [Paolo] Maldini, Kaká, [Gennaro] Gattuso, Pirlo, all those players – it makes a big impression on you. At the start, I kept myself to myself a bit, but then you get used to mixing with those players and you realise they're just normal people who you can talk to and share good times with."

Summer decision
If the Rossoneri have their way, Gourcuff could yet share many more good times with those illustrious names. The San Siro outfit have kept a close eye on his performances and appear keen to bring him back in the summer, though Bordeaux hope to make the deal permanent by activating a buy-out clause in the region of €15m. The key will be where the player himself wants to exercise his craft next season. "We'll see what happens," explained Gourcuff. "For me, the most important thing is to have fun with my team-mates, so I think it's much too early to talk about the future. For the moment, I'm enjoying myself here, and at the end of the season we'll see."