BRICE SAMBA has been handed France’s No1 shirt for Euro 2024.
The former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper, 30, left the Tricky Trees in 2022 to sign for RC Lens in Ligue 1.
Samba has gone on to impress in his homeland, helping Lens to a runner-up finish in the 2022-23 season – earning Champions League qualification in the process.
The 6ft 2in ace was rewarded for his form at club level with a first international call-up last year.
Boss Didier Deschamps handed him his first cap in a qualifier against Gibraltar last June.
He has since gone on to earn further appearances against Greece and Germany.
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With stalwart Hugo Lloris having retired from international duty after the 2022 World Cup, France’s No1 shirt had been left vacant.
Lloris, 37, had worn it at every major tournament since the 2010 World Cup.
After confirming their 25-man squad, Les Bleus revealed that Samba would wear their No1 jersey.
Having begun his career with spells at Le Havre, Marseille, Nancy and Caen, Samba signed for Forest in 2019.
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France’s Euro 2024 squad in full
- Brice Samba
- Benjamin Pavard
- Ferland Mendy
- Dayot Upamecano
- Jules Kounde
- Eduardo Camavinga
- Antoine Griezmann
- Aurelien Tchouameni
- Olivier Giroud
- Kylian Mbappe
- Ousmane Dembele
- Randal Kolo Muani
- N’Golo Kante
- Adrien Rabiot
- Marcus Thuram
- Mike Maignan
- William Saliba
- Warren Zaire-Emery
- Youssouf Fofana
- Kingsley Coman
- Jonathan Clauss
- Theo Hernandez
- Alphonse Areola
- Ibrahima Konate
- Bradley Barcola
He played 133 times for the Tricky Trees, leaving after three years following Forest’s promotion to the Premier League.
In addition to the former Championship stopper, Deschamps will be able to call upon AC Milan’s Mike Maignan and West Ham’s Alphonse Areola.
Maignan, 28, has earned 14 caps and will wear the No16 shirt, while Areola, a member of France’s victorious 2018 World Cup squad, has earned five caps and will wear No23.
Having been selected to start tonight’s friendly clash with Luxembourg, Maignan is likely to receive the nod as first choice in Germany.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
