Axel Drouhin

Axel Drouhin only settled at a club at 24. Born in Dijon, he worked his way up through amateur football: after starting out at ASPTT Dijon, he spent three seasons at FC Gueugnon, captaining the side in 2021–2022, before returning to his home-town club, Dijon FCO. He began there in the reserves in National 3 and did not sign his first professional contract until January 2024.

Six months later, Drouhin moved to FC Annecy on a free transfer, agreeing a deal until June 2027. In Ligue 2, he made himself a first-team fixture at the back, scoring against Martigues and Guingamp in the league and adding another in the Coupe de France, while building a reputation for interceptions. It was enough to draw interest from abroad: in September 2024, KV Kortrijk paid a fee of around €500,000 to take him to Belgium, where he signed until June 2029.

The trajectory is unusual for how compressed it is — a player who spent years outside the professional game, then within little more than twelve months went from a reserve-team deal to a paid transfer abroad. He has yet to be called up by France at any level, senior or youth.