Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has praised Lyon rising star Houssem Aouar, comparing him with former Arsenal and Manchester City star Samir Nasri.
The 22-year-old joined the Groupama Stadium outfit at the age of 11 after arriving from AC Villeurbanne academy, where he spent three years.
The midfielder, who holds Zinedine Zidane as his role model, has now become a key member of the Kids since he was promoted to the senior side in 2017.
Aouar has featured in 96 league games for the French club and last season he scored nine goals and provided 10 assists in 41 appearances across all competitions.
His performances have seen him linked to a number of European clubs, including Premier League sides Chelsea and the Gunners.
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Ferdinand is in awe of the Algerian central midfielder and backed him to become a star in one of the top clubs in Europe.
"He [Aouar] provides creativity in this team. A kid so young but he’s relied upon so much. That shows the belief they’ve got in him and the belief he has in himself,” Ferdinand told BT Sport.
"You see his imagination and the pictures he creates and sees on the pitch, the vision and the tactical awareness.
"The confidence is what exudes out of this boy. He’s a fabulous player to watch. He drives past people and then it’s about decision-making and the timing of the pass.
"He has it all. He reminds me of [former Arsenal and Manchester City star] Samir Nasri at times. He’s someone who can be a top player at one of the top clubs in Europe."
Aouar has previously represented France at the U17 and U21 levels but he is still eligible to play for Algeria since he has not featured for the Blues’ senior side.
Should he decide to pledge his international future to the North Africans, he will be expected to complement the current Desert foxes team.
Algeria are current Africans champions after clinching the continental title in 2019 in Egypt, beating Senegal in the final.
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