French-Nigerian winger Michael Olise tipped for major World Cup impact

Jeremie Aliadiere believes French winger Michael Olise is poised to emerge as one of the standout performers at next summer’s World Cup.

The former Arsenal and Lorient striker says the Bayern Munich star now carries the presence and polish required to influence matches on the biggest stage after steady progress for club and country.

Olise, born in England to a Nigerian father and French-Algerian mother, has grown into a central figure for Didier Deschamps’ squad since joining Bayern almost 18 months ago.

His rise has been gradual, but Aliadiere says the 22-year-old is finally receiving widespread acclaim in France after years of quiet excellence.

Aliadiere told Tribalfootball.com that Olise’s quality was evident at Crystal Palace, yet the winger’s performances were often overlooked because he played outside England’s traditional elite.

“He is getting very noticed now in France, yeah. I think it took him a while because I think when he was at Palace, obviously he was already performing really well in the Premier League. But because you’re at Palace, it’s not

“Arsenal, Man United or City or the big clubs, so your performances are not really judged on the same level as if you were playing for a top, top club.

“But now that he’s moved to Bayern Munich, certainly his performances are well recognised. He’s in the Champions League and in the Bundesliga and with a top club. So suddenly people think, oh yeah, he’s a great player.

“He’s a top, top player. And people in France now really are recognising him for his ability and his level. They really think very highly of him and how important he’s going to be for us at the World Cup.”

“When you think about a French squad and you’ve got him, (Ousmane) Dembélé and (Kylian) Mbappe, that could be an absolute crazy front three. I hope they’ll all be fit and in form for the right time.”