Vincent Guérin, former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, gave an encouraging assessment in the newspaper Le Parisien after 18-year-old Quentin Ndjantou’s starting appearance in the Champions League against Tottenham Hotspur, a match PSG won 5-3. For Guérin, seeing an 18-year-old thrown into the deep end proves that the club truly believes in him.
Guérin: “For a first start, it’s encouraging”
“For a first start, it’s encouraging. Seeing an 18-year-old start in the Champions League is interesting. We didn’t see a lot of him, but he was useful in possession. He was one of the few who created some movement in attack during the first half. Of course, it’s not comparable to veterans like Dembélé, but it’s not bad.”
Quentin Ndjantou thus benefited from the coaching staff’s confidence in making his Champions League debut. For Guérin, it’s primarily his ball control and his ability to create movement in attack that deserve the spotlight—even if he didn’t necessarily shine like a seasoned star.
This kind of performance, modest but effective, shows that PSG seems ready to give young players from its academy a chance. It wasn’t an instant success, but it’s a solid start: you get the sense that the club is experimenting, testing, perhaps preparing for the future with players like Ndjantou who combine youth and ambition.
