5 successful academy graduates from the Le Havre academy

For most casual football fans, Le Havre is not a club many will be familiar with. However, a more detailed look into French football reveals that the tiny French club has in fact produced some excellent talent from its much-acclaimed youth academy.

While the Normandy club is no La Masia, some very impressive French talent has graduated from the academy, with many of them shaping or primed to shape world football in the future. Note that while Riyad Mahrez did spend three years at Le Havre before moving to Leicester City, he had already turned professional before joining the French side and hence, he cannot be considered as an academy graduate.

Let us look at 5 amazing Le Havre graduates in recent times:

#5 Carlos Kameni

Kameni has had a long and successful career in La Liga

Kameni first caught the eyes of the world when he helped Cameroon win the Olympic gold medal just aged 16. Snapped up immediately after his stunning performance by Le Havre, Kameni perfected his skills as a premier shot-stopper in the French side’s academy.

Currently playing at Malaga, the 32-year-old is widely seen as one of the most reliable goalkeepers in the world. A full Cameron international since the age of 17, Kameni has plenty of feathers under his cap, including being awarded the best African goalkeeper in 2007 along with a Copa Del Rey triumph with Espanyol in 2006-07.

The Malaga goalkeeper is known for his quick reflexes, shot stopping skills and his command in the penalty box. Although Kameni made his name mostly in La Liga, much of the credit for his successful career goes to the Le Havre academy which fine tuned his skills from 2000-2004.