Laporte can take Aym at his doubters

Ex-City defender has benefitted from a switch to Spanish team

- JOE BRAY

WHEN Spain booked a place in the Euro 2024 final this weekend, it was a particularly sweet moment for one player in particular.

Used to proving critics wrong, Aymeric Laporte has emerged a key figure in Spain's revival in the last few years, having got past the last 16 in just one of the last four tournaments since winning the World Cup in 2020. A Nations League success in 2023 could be followed by another European Championship this year, and Laporte has been an important figure in that turnaround - proving a quality replacement for Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique.

If there can be such a thing at international level, Laporte has been something of a new signing for Spain, having previously played his football for France who were knocked out by Spain on Tuesday.

Laporte had previously played for France, the country of his birth, up to under-21 level, but is of Basque descent through his great-grandparents. That is not enough to qualify him to play for Spain, especially as his family were French-Basque, but it did allow him to play for Athletic Bilbao, who famously only allow Basque players to represent them.

After spending six years at Bilbao, Laporte moved to City in 2018, having still not made his France debut.

In 2015, facing the prospect of being overlooked for their Euro 2016 squad, he said he would consider switching international allegiances to Spain - a move welcomed by then-manager Julen Lopetegui.

In response, France manager Didier Deschamps called him up to the senior squad, but didn't hand a debut out. Still, it was enough to persuade Laporte to drop his bid to play for Spain and focus on France.