Eric Roy’s high-flying Brest had to be without their Number 1 shot stopper against Marseille last weekend, after Marco Bizot was serving a two game suspension after an incident with Clermont’s Elbasan Rashani. It meant that backup keeper Grégoire Coudert had to step into the limelight after spending 30 games on the bench for the Breton side - it would be his first start in Ligue 1 Uber Eats at the age of 24.

An all-round keeper who is good on his feet, in depth and in the air, Coudert, who has never played for the reserves made a good impression against OM. "A win against OM for a first start in L1 is hard to beat. Frankly, it was a good match, we were solid and my team-mates made me feel at ease."

Coudert’s journey

Coudert’s down to earth personality has pleased goalkeeper coach Christophe Revel. "He's not the type to get on a plane and go to Dubai for two days [...] We had the good sense to play him in all three Cup matches. PSG, at the Parc (3-1), was a good rehearsal."

In 2018, Coudert embarked on a memorable Coupe Gambardella with Tours FC up until the final stage of the illustrious youth competition. It was an experience which saw him grow but also was dramatic, after a teammate’s death shocked a young Tours side. After that, he has often been a second or third keeper for Tours, Amiens, and then Brest. Courdert is also not just a footballer, having been born into a family of Rugby players and played for Brive as a child - and often plays basketball with Mathias Periera Lage at home.

Brest face Strasbourg in their next test in Ligue 1, as Les Pirates look to keep up the pace in the race for the Champions League.