Mercurial midfielder recently captained Marseille for the first time and is in line to play for France tonight in the Nations League semi-final

It’s been a big few weeks for Matteo Guendouzi, whose departure from Arsenal threatened to derail his career but has instead provided a springboard to heights that he has never previously attained.

Now the on-loan Marseille star faces the equally daunting prospect of maintaining his new status.

Guendouzi had effectively been exiled from the Emirates Stadium due to behaviour problems that manager Mikel Arteta had simply had enough of handling. He previously spent the 2020-21 season with Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga, but his switch to OM was designed to be permanent with a purchase option included in the deal.

For the feisty young midfielder, the move to Stade Velodrome represented something of a gamble due to his previous association with the academy of Paris Saint-Germain.

His combative spirit, however, quickly won over the fans in France’s south. Of course, some excellent form has also helped, with the 22-year-old having posted an assist and a goal in just eight Ligue 1 encounters.

He has already won the faith of head coach Jorge Sampaoli, who has allowed him the freedom to cover the length of the pitch with the energy and hunger that he exudes, and captained the side for the first time in a fixture against Lille.

Guendouzi’s strong form has quickly been recognised by France boss Didier Deschamps, who called him to the national team ahead of the Nations League semi-final against Belgium in Turin on Thursday. A further match will take place on Sunday, either a third-place playoff against Italy or the final versus Spain.

Among the players he has been selected ahead of is Real Madrid’s in-form teenager Eduardo Camavinga, who has been winning critical acclaim at the Santiago Bernabeu.