Serhou Guirassy: Still upstaging Harry Kane
October 21, 2023
Harry Kane would be entitled to think averaging over a goal a game in the infancy of his Bundesliga career represents an exceptional return. But the Englishman at Bayern Munich is being outshone by an until-recently unheralded Guinean at Stuttgart. His opening goal in a 3 -0 win over freefalling Union Berlin on Saturday took Serhou Guirassy to an incredible 14 goals in his first eight league games.
No player in Bundesliga history has ever been this prolific at this stage of a season and only Cristiano Ronaldo, 15 in 2014-15 for Real Madrid, has scored more in the history of the five major European leagues (France, England, Germany, Spain, Italy).
Guirassy was prevented from matching Ronaldo by a muscle injury that forced his witdrawal in the first half of the match, but he'd done enough to put his side on the way to a sixth win in a row that takes them second.
Union coach Urs Fischer described Guirassy as "a difference maker" ahead of the game and was proved right. The striker's own coach was equally glowing of his character. "He is a very, very modest, humble and even-tempered guy," Sebastian Hoeness said. "So I don't see any danger [of over-confidence] there. Still, it's human that that does something to you. I don't see that with him right now."
Though his rise to such a level of fame may be rapid, Guirassy served notice that such a spell might be possible with a run of form that kept Stuttgart up last term. The French-born striker, 27, scored four in his last five league games and one in the relegation playoff against Hamburg to help keep VfB in the Bundesliga. That further convinced Hoeness, whose arrival as coach is a key factor in Guirassy's form, to make his move from Rennes permanent.
"I benefit from the team, I'm grateful because it is a pleasure to play here with amazing fans. It is a great city," Guirassy said earlier this month. "We have to stay humble like we are and work hard."
It all starts in France
Guirassy was born in Arles, on France's south coast, and his early career was spent in playing for Laval, Lille and Auxerre (on loan) before his first Bundesliga move to Cologne in 2016. Though he was young, at 20, Guirassy would doubtlessly have hoped for more than 79 minutes in his debut campaign in Germany. But a mix of injuries and problems settling prevented him making any impact.
Things didn't get much better in his second season in the west of Germany, with Cologne relegated. But Guirassy at least showed a glimpse of his promise, scoring all four of his league goals in a mid-season purple patch that also included a memorable winner over Arsenal in the Europa League.
A mediocre season in the 2.Bundesliga didn't prevent French top division side Rennes taking a chance on a striker who is tall, strong and mobile enough to play as a lone frontman and assured enough on the ball to operate as one of a front two or three.
"He has played a big part in bringing the team together and also knows that he can rely on his teammates," Stuttgart's sporting director, Fabian Wohlgemuth, told Sky after the Mainz game earlier in the season, where Guirassy took all three goals with the coolness and confidence that such a goalscoring run brings.
AFCON 2023 beckons
It's been in Stuttgart, and under the guidance of Hoeness where Guirassy has really delivered on the promise that saw him represent France at youth level. At senior level though, Guirassy has chosen to represent Guinea, the land of his parents.
As a former French colony, Guinea draw many of their players from the French leagues but also have a smattering of Bundesliga representation in the form of Naby Keita (Werder Bremen), and Ilaix Moriba (RB Leipzig). Guirassy's switch of international allegiance in 2022 has paid off quickly, with Guinea qualifying for this year's Africa Cup of Nations behind Egypt in Group D.
That tournament, in Ivory Coast in January, will likely see Guirassy miss several Stuttgart games. But, given that it will also be the transfer window in Europe, might also have an advantage. Guirassy reportedly drew interest from a number of clubs in England's Premier League before this season begun and a start like this certainly won't have dulled that interest.
"Serhou knows what he has here. He identifies 100% with our cause," said Hoeness earlier in the season, while Guirassy said he feels "comfortable" with the Bundesliga's surprise package. That's certainly not a word any of the defenders who face him would use.
Edited by: Michael da Silva