Full name: Yoann Gourcuff
Date of birth: July 11, 1986
Age: 21
Place of birth: Ploemeur (France)
Nationality: French
Height: 1.85 m (6' 1'')
Weight: 79 kg (174 lbs)
Position: Midfielder
Youth clubs: FC Lorient, Stade Rennais
Previous club: Stade Rennais
Current club: AC Milan
Club number: 20
Under-21 National Team number: 13 (during Euro 2006)
biography
Yoann Gourcuff (born July 11, 1986 in Ploemeur, Morbihan, Brittany) is a French and Breton footballer who is presently playing with AC Milan.
Having started out with FC Lorient (whose manager is Christian Gourcuff, Yoann's father), at a young age, Yoann signed a youth contract with Stade Rennais in 2001. In 2003, Yoann signed a professional contract with Rennes.
Making only 9 appearances in the 2003-04 season, the following seasons were much more successful for Yoann, with him scoring 6 goals in the 2005-06 season, helping Rennes to finish 7th in Ligue 1 and winning them a place in the 2006 Intertoto Cup.
Having been linked with a host of big name European clubs such as Ajax Amsterdam and Arsenal F.C., at the end of the 2006 season, Yoann decided on a move to AC Milan where he has signed a contract which will take him up to the 2010-11 season.
Yoann has been capped for France at schoolboy level and was part of the winning French team at the 2005 European Under-19 Football Championship.
Yoann is being talked of by many as Zinédine Zidane's heir apparent due to his similar height, build, movement, and skill. That has led to his nickname "Petit Zizou".
Yoann had a fantastic start to his Milan career, scoring a goal and being one of the best players on view in Milan's first UEFA Champions League match against AEK Athens. Gourcuff is suspected to be one of the greatest players in years to come and AC Milan will vouch to help him succeed that position.