France boss Didier Deschamps has lavished praise on Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez, with the pair both playing key roles in Les Bleus winning the 2018 World Cup.
Neither Pavard nor Lucas were assured of spots in the team ahead of this summer's tournament, but both excelled after being handed starting roles by Deschamps.
The France boss has said that the pair "established the defence", and he reserved special praise for Stuttgart's Pavard, calling the 22-year-old "a star".
"Despite their former status and some inexperience at this level, Benjamin Pavard and Lucas [Hernandez] were brilliant and stabilised the defence," Deschamps told Kicker.
"These two fighters made a big difference. Benjamin has become a star and he deserves it. He's not so media-focused. He's very friendly, appreciated by his teammates, and has an incredible amount of self-confidence.
"He once said to me: 'I'm not afraid of anyone!' So I told him: 'You can think that, but never say it to the media.'"
Pavard is believed to be a transfer target for a number of European clubs ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.
Matt Law
