Bournemouth forward Junior Kroupi said he’s “really enjoying” life on the south coast.
The 19-year-old moved to the Cherries last year from Ligue 1 side Lorient, and it’s fair to say he’s made an impression on the Premier League.
Closing in on double figures for Premier League goals this season, he’s been one of the division’s in-form forwards this term.
Junior Kroupi used open-top tour buses to get to know his environment
Settling into what is widely regarded as football’s toughest league, especially with Kroupi’s age, is no mean feat, and must at least in part be attributed to how relaxed he feels in his current environment.
To get to know his surroundings, the France youth international took it back to basics.
“We’ve been out and done some sightseeing,” the young forward tells FourFourTwo. “At the start, we’d take the tourist bus to have a look around and see where we were. We’re really enjoying ourselves here. It’s been great.
“I like going to the beach, when it’s not raining too much, and just having a walk. Otherwise, I tend to stay at home and chill out. If you ask where my favourite places are, I’d have to say the stadium and the training centre!”
Funnily enough, for a Ligue 1 player, Vitality Stadium is a venue with which he arrived with some familiarity, having played there in a friendly in 2023 for Lorient.
“I’d been able to see the team, how they played,” he recounted. “I didn’t speak to the coach [Andoni Iraola], but I saw him.
“I also saw the atmosphere and the passion in the stands. It was a dream that I wanted and being here today is really incredible. I’ve fulfilled one of my dreams and want to keep advancing.”
While there are plenty of French speakers in the Cherries’ squad, which no doubt helped with the switch, Kroupi has managed to adapt to England well, as evident in his performances.
“The players, the staff and the supporters all helped me to integrate. I inevitably spend a lot of time with the French players. We have our little group, our little family, but everyone gets on with each other.
“To begin with, I was taking English lessons in France, but when I got here, I said to myself, ‘I don’t want to take lessons, I’d prefer to speak to people, that’s how I’m going to learn.’ I told myself I’d have to really try to speak to English people, and that’s how I was going to pick up the language.”
Whatever he’s doing, it’s clearly working for the young Frenchman.
