Manu Koné #6

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Koné's trajectory isn't an unfamiliar one in French football. He left his formative club, Toulouse, when he was still just a teenager, to join Borussia Mönchengladbach. His performances there earned him a move to Roma where he has truly flourished. Pretty much all of his development has happened outside of the French gaze. "I worked so hard, under the radar, you could say," he said back in September. Reaching the France national team is one thing, but heading into the World Cup, he is very much a contender for a starting spot. Didier Deschamps is a big fan of Koné, describing him as "a complete, modern midfielder". The France manager added that the Roma midfielder is "underrated". Play a prominent role in the World Cup and he will be thrust out of the shadows and into the light.

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