Former Newcastle United winger Hatem Ben-Arfa has seen his incredible return to form rewarded with a call-up to Didier Deschamps’ France team for their upcoming friendlies with Germany and England.
Ben Arfa, 28, hasn’t featured for France in three years, but has transformed his career since moving to Nice from Newcastle on a free transfer.
The powerful winger fell out with Deschamps during their time at Marsielle, which triggered his move to Newcastle back in 2010. However, Deschamps says he has moved beyond that and is rewarding a player in fine form.
When asked about a return to the France team, Deschamps said: “Why not? My think is about what he has done with Nice.
“If someone can bring something to the France team, it doesn’t matter if he has had a problem with me. He has learned from his experiences and is now more fulfilled.”
Ben Arfa’s early season form has been integral to Nice’s exhilarating start to the season which sees them just four points off the second spot. In fact, only Michy Batshuayi (8) has scored more goals than Ben Arfa (7) in Ligue 1 so far this season.
For more stats on Hatem Ben Arfa, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
