Who is Luc De Fougerolles? Meet the Canadian youngster turning heads at Fulham
Who is Luc De Fougerolles?
That's the question that many Fulham fans have had on their lips this summer, as De Fougerolles has emerged as one of the standouts of their preseason.
And this new Canadian prospect has caught the attention from not only local supporters in England who have seen him rack up appearances in Premier League 2 with Fulham FC, but from those in North America, who have been buzzing about the idea of 17-year old getting a chance with the Canadian Men's National Team in the future.
Luc de Fougerolles vs Aston Villa pic.twitter.com/UyOd0Pkgqu
— FULHAM IN JAPAN (@Fulham_japan) July 27, 2023
De Fougerolles was born in England, but his Canadian born father Jean allows him to represent if he chooses to and from what it seems, Luc is leaning towards giving the red & white of Canada a shot, earning a call-up to last year's Canadian U20 team. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make an appearance for the team during that camp, due to being in the midst of exams during selection, but the intention was there.
On the pitch, versatility is the first word that comes to mind when watching De Fougerolles operate, as he can feature as a fullback, centreback and midfielder. Mainly deployed at full-back, he's got good 1v1 defending, but also has a strong first touch, explosive burst and is confident in progressing the ball, all the makings of a great modern day defender.
As a 17-year-old who not only succeeded at the U18 level but is now starting to gain traction with the team's U21s, many Fulham staff members credit Luc’s ability to play above and beyond his standards to the mental side of his game, which he works on intensely. That's had an effect off the field, as well - he was recently awarded Fulham’s Scholar of the Year award for his academic success, and is completing his BTEC Sporting Excellence and Performance and two A-Levels in Psychology and Business, acting as a role model for young players breaking into the U18’s.
The opportunities are continuing to increase for De Fougerolles, too, as he not only signed his first pro contract with his boyhood club Fulham this past April, but also got the chance to make a couple of first-team appearances in the Summer as a part of the club’s pre-season friendly schedule, logging over 100 minutes combined in contests against Chelsea and Aston Villa. He thrived in those games, too, slotting in as a centre back instead of full back, catching the eyes of supporters with his composed build-up play, in particular. 
To have a player still in his teenage years with such high-level experience under his belt already, this should be a very positive sign for CANMNT coaching staff and supporters - not to mention he plays in one of the positions that Canada are lacking depth at, which is centre back.
When will the kid get a chance?
With eyes now on the young talent, if he continues to impress in PL2 for Fulham, it won’t go unnoticed and in the best-case scenario, he could potentially impress enough to get a call to join the CanMNT in Asia for their friendly against Japan.
Especially if he finds a way to break into Fulham's first team at any point during the Premier League season, that will likely only further accelerate that process, as CanMNT head coach John Herdman has been a big proponent of players playing at tier-one clubs. You add in that De Fougerolles plays at a position of need for Canada? He'd almost be a shoo-in for a call should that occur.
ON THE RADAR 🔎
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 13, 2023
Have you heard of young Fulham FC standout Luc de Fougerolles? 👀
The 17-year-old CB could be a future option for the #CanMNT – but will he get a shot vs. Japan, or is it far too early? 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/RkAU0AIT8R
Rest assured at the level he’s playing and in such a strong academy that has helped produce bright European talents like Fabio Carvalho, Harvey Elliot, Ryan Sessegnon and Eberechi Eze, De Fougerolles will get his chance to break into the national squad sooner rather than later, should he continue on this path.
