‘Playing at a World Cup is a dream, but in order to win a place in the squad, you have to perform at club level – that’s my focus’ Eli Junior Kroupi reveals his World Cup goal - and the idol he wants to emulate

For any young player making a name for themselves in the Premier League, this summer’s World Cup is an obvious next ambition.

But for Bournemouth’s promising young French forward Eli Junior Kroupi, this dream comes with a clear sense of perspective.

The 19-year-old has scored nine goals so far during his first season in England and his focus remains on the here and now - even if he does harbour clear long-term goals.

Kroupi on his World Cup ambition

“I wouldn’t say that it’s in the back of my mind,” the teenager tells FourFourTwo when asked about the prospect of making Didier Deschamps’ squad later this year.

“Of course, it’s a dream. Playing a World Cup is a dream that every footballer has. But in order to win a place in the squad, you have to perform at club level, so for the time being I’m staying focused on things at Bournemouth.

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“I want to experience this season to the maximum, then we’ll see what happens after that.”

With nine goals already in the Premier League this season, including an ice-cold penalty strike to seal a draw against Manchester United before the international break, Kroupi will no doubt be turning heads in the France set-up.

And this mature mindset has been honed by a number of influences during his rise so far, with one player standing ahead of all.

“I admired Neymar,” he continues. “He’s my idol. Watching him play, when he was playing more regularly, was incredible.

“Then I’d inevitably watch the strikers – Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema and Edinson Cavani. I watched lots of strikers – in particular I’d look at how they moved and how they managed to do certain things.

“I always tried to take something from each of them and create my own style of play.”

As a youngster, Kroupi didn’t support one particular club, explaining instead, somewhat intriguingly, he was a fan of “the beauty of football. Of course, there were teams I liked such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool.

“I watched loads of the big clubs in the English league and the Champions League. But my favourite club is still FC Lorient.”

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