There is a 28-year-old man living close to his family in a Parisian suburb. He is fighting depression and the burden of regret. And it’s difficult to see how he’ll ever overcome his demons. Everyone who has ever seen him on a football pitch says he had more talent than Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Lionel Messi or Ousmane Dembele. But Yann Gueho has never played a competitive match in his life.Yann’s personality was the big issue. Even though he came from a quiet and loving family, he was never far away from trouble. Disrespect for all authority, fighting in school, disobedience, eccentricity – all those things rendered Yann’s talent pretty much useless.In an in-depth story published by The Athletic, Yann’s former coaches and his mother speak about his downfall. Born with a magical talent, Yann grew up playing football in the streets, just like many aces who represent France in the World Cup today. He was so good with the ball, showing incredible dribbling, speed and trickery, that everyone understood that he was something special.##NAJAVA_MECA_6877797##The boy joined Clairefontaine, the famed French football academy for the most talented kids. He impressed everyone with his skill – but he was expelled before he completed his first year. It was a common theme – many teams have taken him only to show him the door within months. Surprisingly, it was Chelsea who put up with him the longest before finally throwing in the towel.The Blues signed Yann in 2009, offering the best possible development to him and his family. However, despite his dazzling ball skills, after two years of living in London, the Guehos were told that it was enough. Yann’s persistent lack of respect for his fellow players and coaches at Chelsea’s Academy led to tensions and animosity. It all ended with a fight with a teammate. The dream was as good as over.Six months after leaving Chelsea, on his 17th birthday, Yann walked into a shop close to his home, wearing a balaclava and armed with a blade. In December 2012, Yann and a friend from Grigny, in the south of Paris, robbed a couple in their home. The following March, Yann physically assaulted a man and attacked the police officers who came to arrest him. He spent the next 21 months in prison. Any hope of a noteworthy football career was out the window. His head wasn’t right.Trawl the internet & Yann Gueho almost ceases to exist.He was in Chelsea’s academy, Clairefontaine & rated more highly than Mbappe. But he’s never played a professional game.This is the story of his talent, prison spells & a belated diagnosis of bipolar disorder.@stujames75— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) December 9, 2022 Yann never lost his football ability, but the last shot at redemption came and went at Paris FC at the end of 2014. Aged 20, he looked the part with the ball at his feet. People were comparing him to Neymar when they saw what he could do. But the problems with his personality remained, prompting his mother, Anne-Marie, to seek help from psychologists on several occasions.At the end of 2016, when he was 22 years old, Yann was diagnosed with bipolar disorder – a mental health condition characterised by extreme mood swings and changes in energy levels. He spent three months in a psychiatric hospital.Today, Yann’s only connection to football is watching his 18-year-old brother Loup-Diwan Gueho play for Paris FC in Ligue 2. Watching France in the World Cup is too difficult – because there are many players there who Yann used to nutmeg in training.
