Player Analysis: Marcus Forss

International breaks can be a mundane experience for many fans who yearn for the return of club football and who dread the thought of one of their players picking up an injury while on national team duty. But for the players who make their international debuts, it's nothing short of a dream come true.

One of those players is Marcus Forss, who received his first ever call-up for the Finland national team this month. The 21-year-old made his debut at the Stade de France against the defending world champions, and it didn't take him long before making his mark. In the 28th minute, Finland capitalized on a poor touch from Moussa Sissoko, with the ball rebounding into the direction of Forss, who left Clément Lenglet in his dust before slotting the opening goal past Steve Mandanda.

Onni Valakari would seal the victory for Finland, the first ever win against Les Bleus in nine meetings; France had won the first eight matches. It was a historic night for Finnish football and the brightest light in what has been a topsy-turvy playing career for Forss.

Born and raised in a football family in Turku, Finland, Forss left the homeland at 13 years of age to join West Bromwich Albion's academy. He spent the next five years progressing through the West Midlands club's academy before being released after his scholarship expired. Forss didn't have to wait too long for the next club to come knocking on his door, and joined Brentford's academy in June 2017.