One of the gems of French football joins Paris Saint-Germain. Spotlight on the talented Désiré Doué, who will wear the Paris Saint-Germain colours this season.
Breizh Talent
Désiré Doué honed his skills in Brittany, specifically in Rennes. For eleven years, he trained, grew and progressed, inevitably moving towards the professional world, which he discovered for the first time just 2 years ago! Just two short years—a number that stands out given how it feels like Doué has been showcasing his talent in Ligue 1 for several years. His journey began with a derby against Lorient, and he scored his first goal shortly after, against... Brest.
With 76 matches played and 8 goals scored across all competitions for Stade Rennais since the summer of 2022, Désiré Doué boasts impressive stats for his age, especially in a team experiencing some turbulence. Despite a coaching change, he maintained his status as a key player at just 20 years old. He played 31 league matches, 5 Coupe de France matches, and 6 Europa League matches in the 2023-2024 season, totalling 42 games, which is 6 more than the previous season. This remarkable progression is coupled with consistent performances for the French U19, U21 and Olympic teams this summer in Paris, culminating in a silver medal.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
As you may know, Désiré Doué has played for Stade Rennais alongside his older brother, Guéla, who plays as a right-back. The two brothers, separated by just two years—Guéla (21 years old) and Désiré (19 years old)—have followed similar paths, but their trajectories diverge this summer, with Guéla moving to Strasbourg. On the weekend of 20 October, during Matchday 8 (Paris-Strasbourg), the Doué brothers will face off for the first time in their history!
What is (a little) less know, however, is that Yann Gboho (Toulouse FC) is also a member of the family! Les Violets' midfielder is the cousin of the Doué brothers and also came through the ranks at Rennes.
DID YOU KNOW?
On 31 August 2022, he scored his first professional goal against Brest, as mentioned earlier. This goal is unique in football history, as it is the first scored in the top 5 European leagues by a player born in 2005!
