We asked everywhere, but we found nothing: no candy stolen from the local bakery when leaving school, no false signature on the correspondence book so as not to show the parents, no stains on the sweatshirt on class photo day, no ringing the neighbor’s doorbell before running away… not even jeans with holes after a day spent at the recreational center. Nothing. Warren Zaire-Emery is a perfect boy and he seems to have ridden the wave of adolescence, without ever falling into the foam.
On August 6, 2022, the PSG midfielder, who should return to the Parisian group this Wednesday in the Champions League against AC Milan, became the youngest player of the capital club, at only 16 years, 10 months and 24 days, just two weeks after signing his first professional contract. Since then, the kid from Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis) has continued and, under Luis Enrique, has become an indisputable starter in the Parisian midfield. Only 17 years old.
First football at 4 years old, first license at PSG at 8 years old, first upgrade in the process… The good student WZE did not hang around on the way. With the under-9s, he plays directly with the U10s or the U11s. And the pattern repeats itself tirelessly up to the U19s, with whom the current No. 33 (usually reserved for young people discovering the pro group) finds himself playing when he is only 16 years old. And, despite the age difference with his teammates, he established himself each time in the locker room, even in that of the pros, to the point of being a “model for all the players in the training center”, according to Luis Enrique.
“It was unanimous”
At an age where we build ourselves, where we seek above all to find our place, in a world as individualistic as football, joining a locker room with the status of “crack of the center” is not easy, especially in a club like PSG, which has a huge talent pool. But Warren Zaire-Emery blended perfectly into his new environment, based on humility and work, as Hervé Guégan, PSG youth coach, told us, who saw WZE join his U16 team then that he was only 14 years old, for an international tournament, the Al-Kass International Cup, in Qatar:
He is someone who is very intelligent and who shows a lot of humility, so from there, there is no problem integrating into a locker room. He is someone who is unanimous, he is appreciated by everyone. You gain credit through your qualities, through your talent, and it happened naturally. »
Same story with José Alcocer, coach of the French U17 team with whom Warren Zaire-Emery won the Euro in 2022: “There was only one year difference with the other players, but he is so humble and quiet, he exudes such serenity and strength. Given what he shows on the field, he earns everyone’s respect, but almost without saying anything. His way of smashing everything, he only does it on the field, in a very normal way at that. »
“The others respect him even more”
Warren Zaire-Emery is not the type to show up in the locker room rolling his shoulders or looking down on his new teammates, the caricature of this “new generation who does not respect the old ones”. As a certain Thierry Henry would say, his new coach at the Espoirs, WZE, rather reserved, is the type to “stay in his place”, “in his zone”. “There were no integration problems that an average young person might have,” confirms Dylan Vangi Vungele, FC Metz player, teammate of our good kid in the French U17 team.
Individual distinctions – third best player in the Al-Kass International Cup, in a competition where there were Real or Barça –, his key role in the Parisian Youth League team or the external requests received very early do not do not deviate from its course of action. “His way of being and playing commands respect, even if forcing is not the right word, because he himself is very respectful of others,” assures José Alcocer. As he is very respectful of others, they respect him all the more, because he is capable of having an attitude that is both very humble and a game that is monstrous. This is what makes it great. »
New captain of the Espoirs
In the collective imagination, especially ours, we imagined Warren Zaire-Emery being the little protégé of his elders. It’s quite the opposite: “I wouldn’t say that the big guys took him under their wings. At times, it was he who took more care of others than the other way around,” adds Hervé Guégan. And this is perhaps what gave the idea to Thierry Henry to propel the midfielder, under contract with PSG until 2025, to become the captain of the Espoirs at just 17 years old, while some of his partners can be 21 years old.
At his age, that he was named captain of the Espoirs surprised me, but that he was captain of a team in itself, no, reacts Dylan Vangi Vungele. He shows exceptional maturity for his age. He takes responsibility, he does things by himself. He is very calm, very simple, but he does not hesitate to talk to people, he is very open, he will not stay in his corner. »
Establishing yourself in the locker room as a young person is one thing. Establishing yourself in the U23 locker room is another. But does imposing yourself in the PSG locker room when you’re not even an adult also happen naturally? “When you turn pro, what’s important is to be very respectful,” replies Hervé Guégan. He has a real personality, real self-confidence, he knows how to stay in his place and put himself forward when necessary. He doesn’t make much noise off the field. » Except when you have to take the megaphone and start chanting at the bottom of Virage Auteuil after a demonstration against OM (4-0). Capo of the CUP at 17, you shouldn’t talk to him about age either.