The maths whizz turned teen star who chose Morocco over France

The maths whizz turned teen star who chose Morocco over FranceImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Ayyoub Bouaddi has been linked with Arsenal, Paris St-Germain and LiverpoolByCiaran KellyFootball reporterPublished1 hour ago13 CommentsOlivier Giroud knows a prodigious talent when he sees one."I played with Kylian Mbappe when he was 18," the BBC Sport pundit said. "He was so mature for his age and I have the same feeling with Ayyoub."It is a bold statement.However, Giroud is not merely jumping on the bandwagon following Ayyoub Bouaddi's impressive World Cup debut for Morocco against Brazil last week.The pair are club team mates at Lille and Giroud has personally witnessed Bouaddi's desire to get better day in, day out.This is a midfielder who has attracted interest from clubs across Europe for a reason following his fearless performances in the middle of the park.So his "rise to prominence is nothing new", in the words of another Lille insider.The manner in which Bouaddi impressed on the big stage did not come as a surprise to anyone in Creil, either, where the 18-year-old grew up in northern France."No one is shocked here," said his former coach Sofiane Khair. "For us, it's logical."'He does this kind of match every weekend'No wonder Morocco and France both desperately wanted Bouaddi to play for them.Giroud, a World Cup winner, was in his ear, "teasing him the whole year regarding picking France".Yet Bouaddi opted against it.Bouaddi may have represented Les Bleus throughout the youth age groups, but he has always been immensely proud of his family's roots.Explaining his ultimate decision to declare for Morocco, rather than the country of his birth, Bouaddi uploaded an old photograph on Instagram.It captured the then ten-year-old in a Morocco shirt as he watched on from the stands at the 2018 World Cup."I am aware of the privilege I have to defend these colours and I wi...