When Raymond Domenech pens his France squad for the crucial World Cup qualifier against Switzerland later this month, it is probably safe to say the name Mickaël Pagis will not enter his head.

And yet, 27 weeks into the season, the hard-working Strasbourg striker sits proudly on top of the Ligue 1 scorers' chart with 12 goals from 23 matches.

Lagging behind Pagis on that list is Peguy Luyindula, back with Les Bleus after rediscovering his touch since Christmas.

But while players such as Luyindula can be said to represent the future of French football, at 31, Pagis emphatically does not.

And it would be fair to say that he never did.

Strasbourg's Angers-born striker spent nine seasons in the sweat and graft of the lower reaches of the professional game before finally making his Ligue 1 debut with Sochaux aged 27.

After starting out with Ligue 2 side Laval in 1993, Pagis was even playing third-tier football as recently as 1999, when he dropped down a division to join Gazélec Ajaccio.

"I don't have a single regret, even if I could have been playing in the top flight earlier," he said. "There were some tough times back at Gazélec in the National Division, but that's where I became the player I am now.

"It toughened me up mentally and I'm reaping the benefits."

It was this same down-to-earth, warrior spirit that endeared Pagis to the Sochaux faithful in his four seasons at the Stade Bonal.

He was part of the side that won promotion in 2001 and scored one of the spot kicks when 'Les Doubistes' pipped Monaco to the Coupe de la Ligue title after a gripping penalty shoot-out last year.

By then, however, Pagis had lost his place in the team to Tunisian striker Santos and was looking for an exit.

Attracted by his strong aerial presence, solid technique and never-say-die attitude, a raft of clubs showed interest before Pagis opted for Alsace. "I liked what the club had to say," he explained. "They talked about the joy of playing and that's what won me over."

Able to work in a withdrawn role or torment defenders at the front of the attack, Pagis has been developing a real understanding with his strike partner Mamadou Niang at the Stade de la Meinau.

They have never looked as deadly in tandem as in the 5-0 drubbing of Caen last month. "We work well together," Pagis said. "My game's all about spreading the ball around and Mamadou makes my life a lot easier because he just eats up the space."

Niang, who has seven goals this season, scored one in that game, but it was Pagis who caught the eye with a brilliant hat-trick.

Those three strikes showcased Pagis’ full range of virtues: his cleanly-struck volley for the first required skill and composure, his lunging slide to convert the second spoke volumes for his fearless determination and the third was sheer, unadulterated power.

"It's been a long time since I enjoyed myself that much on the pitch," he commented afterwards.

That victory was followed by a 3-1 success over Paris Saint-Germain, during which the deadliest striker in Ligue 1 netted again, this time from the penalty spot.

With Pagis applying all the hard lessons he learned in football's shadows it seems likely that the club’s short-term future will be in the top flight.

Meanwhile, Pagis is set to have the last weekend of March off. But should France’s scoring troubles continue against the Swiss at the Stade de France on March 26, he would be forgiven for picking up the phone and giving M. Domenech a call himself.