Eliesse Ben Seghir: Everything you need to know about the AS Monaco attacker
Eliesse Ben Seghir @ AS Monaco
Having recently signed a three-year contract extension with AS Monaco, this was the latest landmark on the remarkable rise of Eliesse Ben Seghir.
Bursting onto the scene last season under Philippe Clement, where he enjoyed a sensational debut by bagging a vital brace against Auxerre after coming off the bench, this was a terrific way to announce himself at the professional level.
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This magical effort in December of 2022 notably saw him become Monaco’s fifth youngest scorer (behind Kylian Mbappe, Pietro Pellegri, Thierry Henry and Benoit Badiashile) and their second youngest ever to bank a brace (behind Thierry Henry).
The exceptionally gifted attacker then kicked on impressively by going on to gain crucial experience both domestically and in the Europa League in a season where he logged 1199 minutes of action in all competitions, plus chimed in with five goals and three assists.
Rising to the occasion on many instances and handling the pressure and weight of expectations wonderfully at the brutally demanding highest level, Ben Seghir’s emergence was a huge takeaway from ASM’s campaign.
For the man who joined Monaco at 16 following spells at SC Cogolin and Frejus that alerted many to his talents, joining Les Monegasques’ famed academy has proved a fantastic choice.
The native of Gassin then signed his first professional contract in 2022 that served as another key milestone in his young career.
Coming on in leaps and bounds within Monaco’s proven breeding ground to develop high-level players, further testaments to his talents arose when he was nominated for the best prospect award in Ligue 1 and the Golden Boy award, plus was elected best player of the Maurice-Revello Tournament courtesy of his sublime showings with the France’s U19 team.
It unsurprisingly wasn’t long before he was deemed ready for first-team football. And he’s duly grasped his opportunities with both hands, as his success has yet again highlighted how effective Monaco’s prestigious youth setup is at assuring graduates are primed for the step up in class to the pro ranks.
“He has a good mentality, shows us that he is there to learn. Our role is to support him and put him in the best position so that he can show his talent at the highest level,” explained experienced ASM defender Guillermo Maripan.
Although injuries have hindered his remarkable upward trajectory this term, the now-recovered ace spoke insightfully on his crusade so far. “It’s true that I’ve found it slow in recent months, with my two injuries in the first part of the season. It was very hard to watch my colleagues play without being able to help them win the matches. But now I’m back, so I’m happy,” he insisted.
“The most difficult thing now is to find continuity, because you have to perform at a high level all the time. My injury was the first difficulty I went through. But I did it thanks to the support of the club and the staff.”
Another exciting piece of news he was delighted to share came when he announced his decision to commit his international future to Morocco. “I was lucky to be able to represent two great footballing nations: France and Morocco. My choice was therefore complicated, even if it was carefully considered. I made the decision when I was coming back from injury. It’s also a deliverance for me. I made this choice based on my roots, with both my parents being Moroccan,” he said.
An absolute master with the ball at his feet, it’s been a joy to watch him weaving his magic and breathing life into his team’s forward forays. Inspired by Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele, these influences are clear to see in his mesmerising dribbling.
Boasting Velcro-like ball control and a slick first touch, this, in combination with his razor sharp changes of pace and direction and handy repertoire of skills to outfox foes or gain separation, ensures he’s a real handful to contain.
Possessing underrated strength and a low centre of gravity, the way the press resistant phenom handles being harried to still execute his actions cleanly is another important string to his bow.
Excelling with his back to goal and with space to run into, defences are always in for a torrid time against him, as his aptitude in this regard also helps make space for colleagues when he draws multiple markers and allows him to win fouls in advantageous locations in the final third.
Full of creativity and invention with his passing, this elevates his nuisance, for he’s able to carve open defences with wicked through balls, crisp one touch passes and flicks and penetrative line breaking passes.
Quick to spot runners and oblige their runs, his playmaking skills ensure he’s always capable of turning a game in an instant with a moment of genius.
Versatile and tactically flexible, Ben Seghir, who’s capable of playing all across the frontline, ties it all together with his movement that puts him in quality positions to put his crafty finishing to good use.
Awake to openings both in behind and in front of opposition rearguards, opponents struggle to deal with his ability to hurt foes when dropping deep and running in behind.
Timing and directing his movement and rapid at identifying gaps between the lines, between defenders to charge in behind and inside the box, expect many more adversaries to suffer against him.
Comfortable operating in wide and central zones, as his 1v1 prowess and expertise is confined spaces hold him good stead to excel, and at performing rotations with colleagues, he certainly has all the ingredients tactically, technically and physically to be a bonafide star.
Despite being sidelined for large chunks this season, meaning he’s only managed 302 minutes of game time, it’s important to note he’s still impacting proceedings, which his winner against Strasbourg and assist vs. Metz illustrated aptly.
Destined for an extremely bright future, possessing all the ingredients needed to excel in today’s game and having recently extended his deal with the Principality club until 2027, all the signs are positive that he’ll continue to go from strength to strength.
Already showing what a game-changer he can be and what a valuable member of Adi Hutter’s Monaco’s squad he is, the sky’s the limit for what he can achieve in his quest to reach the pinnacle of the beautiful game.