Gourcuff going for glory

By David Farrelly & Andrew Haslam

Yohan Gourcuff has been a key figure in France's march to the final of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, scoring a hat-trick against Norway and creating two more goals in the semi-final victory against Germany.

Critical strikes
The Stade Rennais FC midfielder also contributed two crucial strikes on the road to Northern Ireland, getting the winner in France's first qualifier against Armenia before registering the only goal of the decisive Elite round encounter with Spain. Having carried that form into the finals, Gourcuff is delighted at how the tournament has unfolded.

Increased intensity
"We have been very solid and have held firm so far," he told uefa.com. "We've picked up the intensity of our game, have got a lot quicker and are playing with more rhythm, which has made the difference for us. We are really united as a squad, everyone had talked about the need to be more compact and we're very happy because we have managed to put that into practice."

Two assists
Gourcuff set up Abdoulaye Balde for France's first two goals against Germany in Ballymena on Tuesday, but the 19-year-old modestly downplays his input. "I made decisive passes for two of the goals against Germany, so it wasn't bad for me," he said. "Nevertheless, I had to consider my defensive duties as well as attack, since the Germans had a lively left-winger [Florian Müller] who caused me to run back a lot of the time to cover."

Penalty prowess
The teenager was also quick to deflect praise for his hat-trick against Norway, saying: "That game went well for me personally, but that's not really important, what counts is the team. I scored two penalties, which is relatively easy. We don't have a regular penalty-taker, it's always who feels like taking it. On that occasion no one wanted to take them, I felt confident, so I did. It's not a problem."

Rennes role
Gourcuff has gradually gained a foothold in the Rennes first team over the last two seasons. Although he has started only eight Ligue 1 matches, he has made a further 22 substitute appearances but is yet to score, something he puts down to the contrasting roles he is asked to occupy. "It's a different role for me with the national team, as I play more as the holding midfielder for Rennes," he said. "I'm still on the fringes of the first team, but I want to improve on that in the coming campaign. I'm sure I'll get a chance, and when I do, I have to make sure I take it."

Invaluable experience
To that end, Gourcuff is optimistic the experience gained at this tournament will prove vital in the future, adding: "For my career, of course this is important. It's also important for my reputation at the club, as being a European champion can only help. But for some of the other players, especially those who play in Ligue 2, this is an opportunity that they are looking to take.

Different challenges
"I'm really enjoying this championship, although it's a lot harder to play football here," he went on. "In the French league, you get more time and space; here teams are very compact and it's a lot harder to play your own game. Every time you get possession a player is there to put you under pressure, so it's a different and interesting challenge. England will not be easy opponents as they have given us problems before, they have quick attackers and are good in the air."