Warren Zaire-Emery, PSG's superstar in the making - ‘A real revelation’ who ‘could be 37 rather than 17’

Remember the name Warren Zaire-Emery, because you’re probably going to be hearing it for a long time to come.

After teasing his potential in cameos under Christophe Galtier in the 2022-23 season, the PSG youngster, 17, has flourished this year under new boss Luis Enrique, becoming one of the most important players for the Ligue 1 champions.

Perhaps his coming of age moment came on Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League when PSG dismantled last year’s semi-finalists AC Milan 3-0 at the Parc des Princes, with Zaire-Emery putting on a midfield clinic.

Speaking on The Goals Show after the game, James Richardson asked TNT Sports French football expert Julien Laurens about Zaire-Emery.

“We said it before on Matchday 1, Matchday 2, and even a bit at the end of last season, that he had the potential to be a real revelation, and this is what he is.

“He’s on half-term really because he should still be at school, he’s only 17. He’s Paris born and bred.”

At this stage, James Horncastle interjected, partly in jest and partly seriously, to point out how important it was to have a player from Paris as the club look to rebalance from their own version of the Galactico era.

Laurens agreed, saying: “He’s a product of the academy, grew up in Aubervilliers in the north suburbs not far from where Kylian Mbappe grew up.

“His dad was a coach like Mbappe’s dad as well.

“Every year, he’s played the year above or two years above because he was that good, and the maturity physically, you see he’s a very strong kid. But mentally as well, in terms of football IQ he was always better than everybody else.

“Didier Deschamps almost called him up for France earlier this month [October]. I don’t think there’s any doubt that he will call him next month with the main team rather than being captain of the U21s, which he is with Thierry Henry.”

On that note, here is what Deschamps had to say about the young midfielder earlier in October when he was discussing his possible selection.

“What he has achieved since the start of the season could have been surprising at first,” Deschamps said.

“I will not hide from you that he is potentially capable of being on this list. But if he continues, he is a serious candidate for a role in midfield.”

As Laurens previously outlined, it is now expected that Zaire-Emery will be called up for the November internationals, and there is every chance he could make the final squad for the European Championships next summer in Germany.

He also won over his team-mates and manager. Enrique seems enamoured with the young midfielder, saying he is an example to everyone.

Speaking after the 4-0 hammering in Le Classique against Marseille live on TNT Sports, Enrique told the media: “Warren could be 37 years old rather than 17. I am so lucky to get here and have a player of his quality.

“He played a lot under Christophe Galtier last season. He is a good example of a player who comes out of the academy and what you should be like. He is humble, works hard, very intelligent.

“He always links up well with his team-mates, which is so important for us. So all we can do is enjoy Warren Zaire-Emery in every match and training session.”

And speaking to CBS after the win over Milan, he was effusive.

"I think that he is one of the best young players in the world at this moment. The way that he lives soccer and lives everything as a professional. He is an example and we are very happy to have him."

And what better praise can there be than from the club’s leader Mbappe, who said this of his young team-mate in February: “He has personality and that’s what we want here. He’s 16 and we don’t care.

"He doesn’t play with his number on his back (33 dedicated to young players). He comes and he brings what he can. Of course, he will learn, and he may make mistakes, but we are here to help him because we know he has quality.”

And what about the man of the moment? What does he make of everything that has been going on?

This is what Zaire-Emery told the PSG website after that remarkable performance against Milan: "It's true that we didn't start the game well, but we were able to communicate with each other, talk to each other, tell each other what was wrong and do the right things so that in the second half we came back in the best possible way.

“My performance? I do it naturally. I think that at my age, you don't necessarily realise what you're doing and I just enjoy playing with my team-mates and giving everything on the pitch.

“The emotions? It's something extraordinary. You can see it every time my team-mates score or after the matches with the fans. I have a reaction that I can't explain, it gives me something extraordinary and I think that's the most important thing.

“The second leg? We're building our confidence. We're going to work hard this week and enjoy it, which is always better."

Zaire-Emery and his PSG team-mates will be in action live on Friday night against Montpellier before they travel to Milan for their second game against AC Milan on Tuesday.

You can watch both games live on TNT Sports and discovery+ in the UK.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media