Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix will be one of those footballers who feel they have an outside shot of making the World Cup squad, and want to capitalise on that. Firstly, that means performing strongly at club level, which can only be an advantage to Oliver Glasner.
Yet there’s also publicity work to be done, with those close to Lacroix responsible for getting his name circulating. The idea being that the more Didier Deschamps hears about selecting the defender, the greater the chance he’ll have.
The 25-year-old hasn’t registered an appearance for France’s senior team yet, so it seems like a long-range prospect. Deschamps has the players he relies upon and doesn’t often venture beyond that.
Injuries are of course possible, and the Crystal Palace standout needs to be well-placed to seize the opportunity.
Crystal Palace player PR:
France’s RMC today have a piece on his desire to represent his country.
RMC highlight Lacroix is the most utilised Eagles player, and they’ve spoken to individuals within his circle. All of those remain unnamed, with the first one saying: “Oliver Glasner’s presence was decisive in bringing Maxence to the club. The coach knows him well, he knows his style, his potential for improvement, and his consistency. Maxence is a very reliable player.”
The second adds: “Maxence is the epitome of seriousness. He’s focused. He gives himself the means to achieve his ambitions. The Premier League is part of that, because he always wants to improve.”
And finally, on those France ambitions: “It’s normal, he wants to test himself against the best and reach the highest level possible.”
RMC also state several major European sides are keen on the Crystal Palace defender. The centre-back recently discussed how comfortable he’s been in London.
Lacroix’s deal with the Premier League club runs until 2029, so there’s no concern in that respect.