Aymeric Laporte on Spain switch and Didier Deschamps frustration

Spain star Aymeric Laporte has opened up on his decision to switch allegiance from France to La Roja.

Laporte has emerged as a crucial player for Luis de la Fuente at the heart of Spain defence which won UEFA Euro 2024 this summer.

Despite plying his club trade in Saudi Arabia, the 30-year-old is still a first choice pick for de la Fuente, after making the decision to declare for Spain.

Laporte represented his native France from U17 to U21 level but infamously never made a senior appearance despite calls to do so.

Didier Deschamps rejected multiple spells of pressure to call him up, as the Les Blues boss hinted at an issue between the pair, and Laporte eventually made the decision for him.

His time at Athletic Club opened up the eligibility question for Spain and Laporte seized the opportunity as Spain looked for a new defensive mainstay.

“I couldn’t wait any longer. Years went by, in the end, it was always the same with the coach. If I wanted to play in international competitions, I had to make this decision”, as per reports from RMC Sport, via Marca.

“I’m doing very well with the national team. There were some exchanges of opinion on several occasions (with Deschamps) our relationship was not the best.

“It’s over, I don’t even think about it anymore. Everyone goes their own way.”

Laporte’s 37 caps make him the leader on the list of Spain’s naturalised players and he is in line to start at least one of their UEFA Nations League games this month.

Grealish was initially called up for the Three Lions' 33-man training squad, but was one of seven players who did not make the final squad for Germany.

England reached the final, losing 2-1 to Spain.

The 29-year-old has been back in the fold under interim manager Lee Carsley, and impressed in September's Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland and Finland.

"I will be honest with you, I didn’t really agree with it," Grealish told BBC Radio 5 Live of Gareth Southgate's decision not to include him among the final 26 players.

"You need a bit of a balance in every position on the pitch and I class myself [as] quite an experienced player now.

"I have won a lot of stuff now so, you asked me should I have gone, yes, I still think I should have, but obviously it wasn't meant to be."

Grealish started just 10 league matches for Manchester City in the 2023-24 season, scoring three goals and providing one assist.

While he admitted that he "didn’t have the best season" domestically, he was left "devastated" by his omission and said that missing out on Euro 2024 was "probably the most difficult period of my life".

Grealish scored in England's 2-0 victory over Ireland in Dublin last month, and will be hoping for more of the same against Greece and Finland in the coming week.

Asked if he felt he had a point to prove, Grealish made it clear that he wanted to show people what England were missing at Euro 2024.

"Of course, I wanted to come here and train well and play well," he said.

"I thank Lee Carsley for giving me that chance and having that trust in me.

"It obviously really meant a lot. I think throughout my career when I have played under managers who have shown trust in me and communicated with me the way he has the last two camps, it really helps me.

"It makes me feel that the manager really does rate me and I can't speak highly enough of him since I have been here."