On
the bench, one would never guess the amount of power that sits, restrained. But
when he is unleashed in the midfield, it may as well be a nuclear meltdown,
because his energy level is well above radioactive levels. He is tenacious,
determined, and quite fast, troubling the opponent like no one else. And if you
give him even the slightest look at goal, whether it be at close range or from
distance, he is also going to trouble your keeper. I speak, of course, of Kevin
Constant, midfield reactor.
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| Just one of the new guys at Milan |
The
25 year-old French born Guinean national spent his youth career and the first
four years of his senior career in France. Beginning in Toulouse, he made four
appearances for the senior team in two years’ time. Then he went to Ligue 2
side Chateauroux, where in two years’ time, he scored 15 goals in 79
appearances.
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| At Chievo, he hung with the best, including Roma's Daniele De Rossi |
Then
his fortunes changed as he was loaned out to Chievo in Serie A in 2010. He made
32 appearances and scored 2 goals for the Italian side, at which point they
opted to purchase him. They immediately then sold him to Genoa, where he
struggled to be quite the same player. Last season, he scored only 1 goal in 21
appearances for Genoa.
Muntari’s
poor luck was Constant’s good fortune, as Milan needed a replacement for the
former when he tore his ACL and was going to be out six months. So, while
Galliani was making the Acerbi deal happen, he got Preziosi to throw in
Constant on a one year loan deal, too. Welcome to Milan, Constant.
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| His celebration at Genoa, let's hope we get to see a few of those in red and black! |
Despite
finding it hard to find a starting spot in Milan’s midfield, Constant proved in
preseason action that he was just the kind of midfielder that Allegri needed.
He is hard working, quick, has good vision, has a keen eye for goal, and helps
to set up plays, too. He is very solid defensively, he doesn’t back down from
anyone and never gives up. But he is also explosive offensively, too,
opposition teams never seem to see him coming until it’s too late. Here, for
example is a video of him at Chievo, troubling Milan and then Juventus. Pay
close attention to his match up with one Gennaro Gattuso…
While
at Milan, he has chosen to wear the number 21, last worn by Andrea Pirlo. I
don’t think he is looking for anyone to make comparisons, but rather, I’m
guessing that he is not daunted by anyone and is prepared to make the number
his own. Certainly, that is how his personality seems, he is not intimidated,
but rather calm and confident.
He
played for France in their U-17 side, racking up a whopping 3 appearances and
one goal for them. But when he was ready to be called up to a senior team, he
chose Guinea, his mother’s country of birth. Since 2012, he has made 12
appearances for the Guinea national team and scored 2 goals.
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| For Milan in the Berlusconi Trophy match, not even 2 Juve players could stop him |
His
stats are not particularly amazing, and without a lot of information about him,
it is hard to tell what this guy is made of. But as soon as he takes the pitch,
it is easy to see. He is like an explosion of energy, a force to be reckoned
with, and an immediate threat to the opposition. He may have had a less than
impressive year at Genoa, but if his preseason performances are to be believed,
he is going to fill the Milan jersey with pride. Welcome to Milan, Kévin
Constant. May your playing time be great and your injuries be non-existent!
This post inspired by the music of
The B-52’s