The Under-17 European Championship in 2004 was an important milestone in French football. Not only did the youth team win the tournament on home soil, they did it in style sweeping aside every opponent en route to beating Spain that had the likes of Gerard Pique and Cesc Fabregas in their ranks.
More importantly though, a certain quartet within the group gave rise to what would later be referred to as ‘Generation 1987’ - future flag bearers of the senior team still dependent on the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry.
While Hatem Ben Arfa and Karim Benzema moved up the ranks that year to join Lyon’s senior team, Samir Nasri did the same at Marseille. Jeremy Menez however, ignored interest from Sir Alex Ferguson who wished to bring the 16-year old to Manchester United and instead stayed with Sochaux becoming the youngest footballer to sign a professional contract in Ligue 1 history.
Each one of them has since left France to play abroad – Benzema to Real Madrid in 2009, Nasri to Arsenal in 2008, Menez to Roma in 2008 and Ben Arfa to Newcastle in 2010 – but despite the early promise they have all failed to live up to their initial hype.
Benzema has failed to consistently justify the hefty price tag in the Spanish capital, while Ben Arfa is out on loan at Hull City in the Premier League having fallen out with manager Alan Pardew at Newcastle. Nasri impressed at Arsenal and is a prominent member of Manchester City but his off-field antics have not really matured him into a player who could be permanently trusted. He's frozen out of the France squad for the foreseeable future, too.
Given the talent though, Menez has been the most disappointing.
While Benzema, Ben Arfa and Nasri made their debut for the Les Blues in 2007 under Raymond Domenech, it was only until Laurent Blanc took over after the 2010 World Cup debacle that Menez finally received a national call-up – six years after that sparkling show with the Under-17s.
Having signed with Roma prior to the 2008-09 season, much was expected of the then 21-year old prodigy but lack of commitment and work ethic meant he never really established himself in the Italian capital. The versatile winger who is equally capable with either foot, was heavily criticised by coaches Claudio Ranieri and later Vincenzo Montella for a lack of effort during training and “lazy” performances on the field.
The criticism seemed justified as he failed to make a difference and under their new American ownership, Menez was sold to Paris Saint-Germain for a mere €8 million in the summer of 2011. Back home with a fresh opportunity to restart a career that was going downhill, he did make a bright start to life at the French capital under Antoine Kombouare and later Carlo Ancelotti. With seven goals and 13 assists in the league, 2011-12 has been his best season till date.
Carrying his form to the European Championship that summer in Ukraine and Poland, Menez was one of the few bright spots of Laurent Blanc’s French team that went out in the quarter finals against eventual winners Spain. That tournament re-united him with the class of 1987, as Ben Arfa, Benzema and Nasri were all part of the squad.
However, with the arrival of Ezequiel Lavezzi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Menez once again found himself on the fringes of a squad that was now brimming with expensive super star signings. Moreover, the €35m singing of Lucas Moura further dented his chances at the Parc des Princes even though he did manage to build some chemistry with Ibrahimovic as PSG lifted their first league championship since 1993-94.
But Edinson Cavani – the marquee signing of the Parisians in 2013 – was the final nail in the coffin of his career with the high-spending French club. As Laurent Blanc tried to slot the former Napoli centre-forward on the wings to accommodate him alongside Ibrahimovic in his favoured 4-3-3 formation, Menez was reduced to a handful of appearances last season.
Absent from the national scene in a World Cup year, it’s fair to say the former Roma player had disappointed again as his contract with the French champions came to an end this summer.
AC Milan, however, saw an opportunity.
Undergoing a massive transformation under new manager Filippo Inzaghi and struggling financially, the Italians were quick to have the winger on board in June.
Sceptical of this move by the seven-time European champions, critics were abject over what exactly Menez would provide to the Rossoneri given his history. But the France international has silenced those voices.
With three goals in four appearances this season in the Serie A mostly as a ‘False No.9’, Menez is soon becoming a fan favourite. His audacious backheel against Parma was ridiculously brilliant, a reminder of what we know he is capable of but one that has been served with massive inconsistency. One of the better performers in the defeat against Juventus, he would have given Milan all three points away at Empoli but for his blistering shot from outside the box that hit the woodwork.
With Mario Balotelli gone and his replacement Fernando Torres yet to adjust to life in Italy, Menez has made the central position in the attacking trio of Inzaghi’s 4-3-3 his own. Too early to suggest he has turned a page but it’s a good start at least.
At 27, the talented forward still has time to resurrect his career and regain his status as the gem of ‘Generation 1987’ but much depends on how he takes it from here.
With Stephan El Sharaawy perceived to be the future on the left wing, Menez faces increased competition from Torres, a rejuvenated Keisuke Honda and Giacomo Bonaventura for the remaining two spots in the attacking third. Not to forget as Inzaghi has stressed several times, they also have M'Baye Niang and Giampaolo Pazzini waiting in the wings.
It’s paramount for ‘Superpippo’ to give the former PSG forward ample playing time and make him feel important, something he has done brilliantly so far. However, it’s equally important of Menez to give his coach constant justification to cement his place as a starter for the remainder of the season. For that, he will have to maintain his sparkling start to life at the San Siro.
There have been past examples of players like Robinho and Antonio Cassano, who despite early indications of having turned a corner at Milan, soon got back to their old ways and Menez surely does not want to be a part of that group.
Menez needs to focus and with Milan looking to get back to the pinnacle of Italian football, this is his chance to finally realise his full potential. Perhaps, it’s his only chance as it would be hard to take him seriously if he were to fail with the Rossoneri.
For a player who came to light with a European Championship on home soil a decade ago, life may just come full circle in two years time as France get ready to host the senior Euros in 2016.
Fondly nicknamed Houdini by Roma fans after the famous Hungarian stunt performer, the chance to get back into the national team should be a big enough reason for the attacker to make the best of this fresh start.
