One To Watch: Louis Leroux, Nantes' 19 year-old canary takes flight

19-year-old Louis Leroux scored his first senior goal on his first appearance at Stade de la Beaujoire for FC Nantes against Lens this weekend. An energetic midfielder, Leroux has been touted as a player for the future with high potential. 

Promising young midfielder Louis Leroux made his professional home debut for FC Nantes during Sunday's win over Racing Club de Lens (3-1) at Stade de la Beaujoire. Not only was it his first appearance, Leroux also got off the mark with his first professional goal for Les Canaris. Moses Simon's cross into the box caused chaos for the Lens defence, and Douglas Augusto's header was saved by Matty Ryan before the ball dropped to the 19 year-old who simply drilled the ball home from the 6-yard box. Cue gleeful celebrations for the youngster who has been touted as the next big talent to come out of the FCN academy.

Leroux had already been making a name for himself at the Loire club, playing above his age in the U19 squad and in the Coupe Gambardella - catching the eye of rival coaches and scouts. Yet Nantes have managed to protect their gem, and all the hard work pays off as he makes a successful introduction to Antoine Kombouaré's first team.

Originally from Longeron, Louis Leroux took his first footballing steps at his hometown club in AS Longeron / Torfou. Showing sparks of talent from a young age, he was quickly spotted by Stéphane Guédon, a recruiter for FC Nantes. Despite an administrative hurdle—his home being 53 kilometers from La Jonelière, just beyond the permitted distance—he managed to establish himself by training regularly with the Canaries before officially joining the club.

Mentality, a 'superb' left-foot, and vision 

Playing above his age group with the U19 National team, he has shone in the Coupe Gambardella, playing a key role in FC Nantes’ quarter-final qualification against AS Monaco. Scouts and analysts agree on his qualities: a refined left foot, above-average game intelligence, and strong defensive work-rate. His profile is reminiscent of a certain young Ludovic Blas.

"Louis Leroux has a great mentality. He runs a lot to close down the lines when his team doesn't have the ball, as well as being quite quick on the ball," says Nelson Scout, an expert in the region's young talent and a journalist for La Télégramme. "With the ball, he's very intelligent despite his young age. He moves quickly from one sequence to the next and always wants to move forward. He is helped above all by his superb left foot and his great vision of the game, which allows him to create many dangerous situations."

'The goal will stay with him forever' - Antoine Kombouaré

"I've known kids who are 17 and who are pushed and then they fly off the handle so they can't express themselves," said Nantes manager Antoine Kombouaré - explaining why he wouldn't let the youngster talk to the press following the game against Lens. Yet, the Kanak had some encouraging praise for Leroux, who was given a standing ovation by Nantes' Tribune Loire after the game. "He was fantastic, I'm so happy for him. He achieved this in front of his friends, his family and his supporters who are just discovering him,’ added the coach. ’He was as I expected, running a lot, recovering well, and he gave himself a great gift with that goal. It will stay with him forever."

It's clear that Leroux has made a very big first step towards realising his clear potential.The young Canary has only just taken flight at Stade de la Beaujoire, but many will be following his progress over the coming months as Nantes look to fight their way to safety in the Ligue 1 McDonald's table.

READ MORE: 

>>Recap: Louis Leroux scores first senior goal in Nantes win over Lens (3-1)