Lionel Mathis has been regarded as one of the most talented young players in France for some time now. But the Auxerre midfielder knows that now is the time he must start realising his much-talked-about potential.

Since Mathis succeeded in earning a place for himself at the ‘Institut National de Football’ - France’s esteemed youth training academy at Clairefontaine - he has held lofty ambitions.

Under the tutelage of youth Coach Claude Dusseau, Mathis - like Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka and William Gallas before him - worked tirelessly between the ages of 12 and 15 to develop his football skills, whilst attending academic classes every afternoon.

On graduating from Clairefontaine, the midfielder was already setting his sights high. “My goal is to play for France one day,” he said as a 15-year-old. “Everything is possible. It’s going to be hard but I’ll do my best to realise the dream.”

Mathis received several offers from professional clubs, including Nantes, Rennes, Caen and PSG, but it was Guy Roux who ultimately convinced Mathis’ parents that Auxerre’s youth team was the best place for his son to continue his development.

Mathis helped Auxerre win the Gambardella youth cup in 1999 before making his first team breakthrough in the 2000/01 season. He has featured regularly in the last three seasons and was outstanding in 2002/03, when Auxerre won the Coupe de France and Mathis was voted as the League’s best ‘Espoir’ (prospect).

A defensive midfielder by trade, he is a good passer and reads the game extremely well. His versatility has resulted in him playing several different roles for Auxerre, with Roux often using him to fill in for injured players rather than awarding him his own place. The stocky ball-winner has played on the right wing and as a playmaker behind the forwards, but is most comfortable sitting in a deep-lying holding role.

A former France Under-21 international, Mathis is yet to fulfil his childhood dream of playing for Les Bleus. There is no doubt he has the talent but until he is a regular at Auxerre, France boss Raymond Domenech is likely to continue looking elsewhere.