Who is the French-Vietnamese prodigy of U23 Thailand that is causing a stir online?

The Thailand U23 team made an impressive debut in the 2024 AFC U23 Championship finals when they defeated Iraq U23. Erawan Garnier, a Thai player of French descent, was the standout performer. The 18-year-old displayed a completely different performance from the rest of the team, even though this was his first appearance for Thailand U23.

Erawan Garnier, born January 5, 2006, is one of the youngest players in the 2024 AFC U23 Championship. Erawan is of Thai and French descent and currently plays for Lyon (France). After 21 appearances this season, Erawan has scored 6 goals.

Erawan Garnier played well in the match against U23 Iraq.

Possessing speed, impressive dribbling skills and good passing, Erawan can play in many different positions. He has played as a centre-back, left-back, right-back, as well as an attacking winger. Lyon highly rate Erawan, often giving the 18-year-old the opportunity to prove himself at different levels.

Although only 18 years old, this player is valued at 100,000 euros (more than 2.7 billion VND) by Transfermarkt. Erawan is the only player of Lyon U19 team to be valued at the present time.

Thai fans were surprised to see Erawan play for 90 minutes on the field because he coordinated well with his teammates as if they had been playing together for a long time. Remember, this was the first time Erawan played for the U23 Thailand team, this player could not even speak Thai, had to use translation software on his mobile phone to communicate with his teammates.

Erawan not only impressed with his assist for his teammate in the 0-2 win over U23 Iraq, but also had impressive personal statistics. The Lyon youngster won 9 duels, completed 4 successful dribbles, maintained a passing accuracy rate of up to 75%, and created 2 clear scoring opportunities for his teammates.

Erawan Garnier's football skills stand out from his teammates thanks to his long training time at Olympique Lyon's youth team. The famous French club has produced world- class players such as Karim Benzema, Alexandre Lacazette, Anthony Martial and Corentin Tolisso...

Erawan's impressive debut has led Thai football fans to expect the French-Thai player to become a key player for the national team in the coming years. Many fans have suggested that Erawan should be given a chance to play for the national team.

If Erawan plays on the right wing in combination with Nicolas Mickelson, the Thai team's attack will certainly be significantly stronger. They also "dream" of the day Erawan becomes a star, comparable to other high-class players who have been trained by Lyon such as Benzema or Lacazette.

Placed in Group C with Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan, Thailand must at least finish second in the group to qualify for the quarterfinals. Erawan will play an important role in the attack of the U23 Thailand team. Erawan's performance will likely determine his chance of being called up to the Thai national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers taking place in June.

Phuong Linh

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