At just 19 years of age, Junior Kroupi has become one of the most exciting emerging talents in the Premier League.
After joining AFC Bournemouth in January and being loaned back to fellow Black Knight club Lorient for the second half of the 2024/25 season, the young forward has made his mark this term with four goals for the Cherries at the time of writing.
His recent run of form also earned him a nomination for the league’s Player of the Month award for October, while also scooping the club’s accolade for his efforts.
As Kroupi continues to settle into life on the south coast, he looked back at a whirlwind few months and began by discussing his first taste of the Premier League, which came at Anfield on the opening night.
“We played Liverpool on the first day of the season in August. The first five or ten minutes of the match, I was like a baby looking around! I was living a dream.
“From the bench, I looked at the stadium, the atmosphere, all the players on the pitch – the ones you usually see on the TV or on the PlayStation. It was incredible.
“Then I focused on the match, asking myself what I could do to trouble Liverpool if I came on.
“The Premier League has more intensity than Ligue 2 for sure. It has more duels but, above all, if you make even the slightest mistake, you’re punished immediately.
“For example, if you lose your player on a defensive corner, it can be a goal right after. You have to stay focused for 90 minutes, sometimes even 100 minutes, because you’re facing some of the best players and teams in the world.”
Kroupi continues to learn and develop under the eye of head coach Andoni Iraola and his staff, who work with the teenager on the training ground to help hone his talent.
The striker went on to speak about how much he’s growing as a player under their guidance.
“Tactically, the coach has really helped me progress, especially in movement off the ball and in my pressing too.
“We talk a lot during training, and in English. Sometimes my teammates who speak French, like Bafodé Diakité, Amine Adli and Adrien Truffert, help me understand. I was taking English lessons before and I think I’ll have to continue!”
Following an injury to Evanilson in October, Kroupi knew he may have a chance from the off in the first game back after the international break, which saw the Cherries travel to south London to take on Crystal Palace.
It was an opportunity he grabbed with both hands, netting two goals in the opening 40 minutes of his first Premier League start.
He recalls the game: “Since Evanilson was unfortunately injured for that game, I knew I might be in line to start.
“I had played very few minutes so far, which had never happened to me in my career before. But my family advised me to keep working and be ready for the day I’d get my chance… so I worked even harder to prepare.
“In the days before the Crystal Palace match, I talked a lot with my father, who told me not to put pressure on myself.
“It was actually his birthday that day, so I told myself I had to try to give him the best gift possible. In the end, I think he was happy with it!”