Nottingham Forest promotion hero Brice Samba has been named in the France squad for the first time. Didier Deschamps has called up the man who helped the Reds reach the Premier League for games against the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland.
Samba was a cult hero at the City Ground. He always gave his all and it came as a surprise when he chose to leave shortly after the Reds had reached the Premier League.
The 28-year-old was itching to get back to France to further his career. Lens took a chance on him and the Ligue 1 outfit are now in contention to qualify for the Champions League.
Now some footage has emerged of his teammates celebrating the call-up with Samba. The announcement from Deschamps is on the big screen in the dressing room and when his name is announced the place erupts.
An emotional Samba lapped up the acknowledgement from the Lens squad. This will be a proud moment for him and the challenge now is for him to get on the pitch for his country.
Samba is a likeable performer and his gamesmanship antics saw him become a hero among the fan base. Now, he’s got bigger fish to fry though and could soon be an international player.
Samba named in France squad for the first time
This is a remarkable feat. After playing top-flight football for just six months, Samba has now been called up by France. It’s fair to say that the celebrations in the Lens dressing room looked epic.
At 28, Samba is now in his prime. It would be the icing on the cake if Lens could also qualify for the Champions League this season.
Forest replaced Samba with Dean Henderson. His injury caused the Reds to sign Keylor Navas in January and he’s currently considered the number-one goalkeeper.
Samba hasn’t been missed in terms of quality. However, it’s a shame that after playing so well during the promotion run, he didn’t get a crack at the Premier League.