Harry Kane would be entitled to think four goals in his first four Bundesliga games represents an exceptional return. But the Englishman at Bayern Munich is being outshone by a relatively-unheralded Guinean at Stuttgart. A hattrick against Mainz on Saturday took Serhou Guirassy to an incredible eight goals in his first four league games.
And while his first secured him the most prolific start for a Stuttgart player since 1984, the third made him the only man to score eight in his first four games since 1967-68.
“He is in the form of his life in my opinion. He is incredibly strong,” Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness said after the game. “We hope he stays like this.”
Though his may not be a name that’s too familiar to many outside the clubs he’s played for, 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.
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, 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
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