Kevin Bru has disclosed his experience at Clairefontaine and how it has shaped his career till date.
The Town midfielder recalled his time playing in his home country before his switch.
“It is a very, very good school for football. There were 1000 kids from Paris who had a test, a trial, and they picked only 23. I was one of them and I spent three years there, which was a very good time for me. In the French U19 team, I played with Etienne Capoue, who was with Tottenham and then moved to Watford this year. I also played with Bakary Sako, now with Crystal Palace after a time at Wolves, and Moussa Sissoko of Newcastle,” Bru said.
The Paris-born star was among the elite players that Clairefontaine academy, Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre, trained. The center has been a great launching pad for many of today’s top football French stars. Notable ones are Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka and Louis Saha.
“When you are in Clairefontaine, a lot of clubs want to sign you. Every year I had invitations from clubs to go and look at the training ground and the stadium, and to play in a tournament. Finally, I signed for Rennes for two years after I left Clairefontaine.
“I was only young when France won the World Cup in 1998 but I remember it well. It was a great thing for the country and my dad took me to the Champs Elysees to see the team and be part of the celebrations,” Bru added.
Bru was born in France but decided to play for Mauritius – his parents’ original native country. The player admitted that he knew it would be difficult to break into the French team at senior level, hence his decision to play for Mauritius. He admits feeing special back home when he represents his country.
