Brutal Allan Saint-Maximin comments arrive from French experts & ex-coach ahead of World Cup

Allan Saint-Maximin may be the king on Tyneside and a fan favourite amongst Newcastle United fans, but the feeling in France appears to be somewhat different.

In a piece assessing his hopes of being called up to the national squad, The Athletic have spoken to his former France U20 coach and a host of French journalist to understand how the enigmatic winger is viewed in his homeland.

The 25-year-old recently admitted that it is a "dream" of his to be selected ahead of this year's World Cup in Qatar, however experts south of the English Channel fear he's "nowhere near" Didier Deschamps' squad.

In his latest squad, Giroud, Griezmann, Mbappe, Coman, Ben Yedder, Diaby and Nkunku were selected, while the likes of Martial, Benzema, Dembele and Thuram have also featured recently, highlighting the level of competition ASM faces.

Here's what the French experts had to say when asked about Saint-Maximin as a player and his current predicament ahead of the World Cup:

Christophe Larcher (France Football)

“We don’t talk about Saint-Maximin as a top player here."

“We know he is very gifted, but he is seen as selfish and not intelligent on the ball.

“He needs to fit into the team if Didier Deschamps, the France coach, is going to pick him. He simply hasn’t done enough.”

Martin Mosnier (Eurosport France)

“Saint-Maximin is very far from the national team,”

“For Deschamps, you must be proven in the Champions League to play for France. Also, Deschamps has so many options in attack — to the extent that (Arsenal’s) Alexandre Lacazette does not even get a look.

"It is so competitive, and Saint-Maximin is nowhere near.”

Ludovic Batelli (Saint-Maximin’s coach during France U20 days)

“Allan’s career is not linear. He has huge talent, but he must do more.

“Allan is an ‘esprit libre’, a free spirit, and when you have Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Kingsley Coman, maybe you do not need someone like Allan.”