Name: Antoine Griezmann
Country: France
Club: Real Sociedad
Position: Winger
Profile
Born in France but rejected by a host of academies because he was deemed too small, Antoine Griezmann left for Spain at the age of 14, joining the academy of Real Sociedad.
Progressing through the youth ranks, the 23-year-old made his debut in 2009 and has not looked back since.
One of the first names on the team sheet over the past five years, the winger is one of the key men in a Sociedad team which has risen from the Spanish second tier to the Champions League.
Griezmann’s key assets are his pace, crossing and ball control from the left flank.
This season he has scored 20 goals in 46 games in all competitions, form which earned him his first France cap in the March friendly against the Netherlands.
It is a fresh start in a sense after he endured a year long ban from France duty after going for an unauthorized night out with four team-mates when he was with the U21s.
Key Stats
Griezmann has an impressive goal conversion rate for a winger. According to Squawka, his goal conversion rate stands at just shy of 20 per cent, while 26 per cent of his crosses have reached their man this season.
When it comes to shots attempted per game, he is among the Top 5 in all of La Liga this campaign.
This summer
Due to his national team inexperience, Griezmann is unlikely to be a starter but has potential to make a serious impact from the bench.
After Team 33 spoke to Ligue 1 Show broadcaster and France-based footballer writer Matt Spiro about Les Bleus, I also asked him about Antonie Griezmann. He told me that the Sociedad winger is viewed in a positive light in France despite leaving for Spain in his teens, but is unlikely to get a huge amount of game-time.
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