Neal Maupay

After seven games without scoring, Maupay scored his fifth goal of the season on 1 December away at West Ham United, an acrobatic overhead kick in the 89th minute to earn a 1–1 draw.

Maupay's opener in the 2–0 away victory over Watford on 12 February 2022 was his 26th Premier League goal for The Albion, equalling Glenn Murray's club record.

Neal Maupay (born 14 August 1996) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Brentford, on loan from Everton.

Maupay started his career with Nice and was a France youth international.

Maupay began his youth career at US Valbonne at age six in 2002, before moving into the Nice academy in 2007.

He progressed through the ranks into the reserve team at the beginning of the 2012–13 season, scoring four goals in three early-season matches before receiving his maiden call into the first team squad on 15 September 2012, for a Ligue 1 match versus Brest.

At age 16 years and 32 days, Maupay made his professional debut as an injury-time substitute for Éric Bauthéac during the 3–2 win.

He was a regular inclusion in the first team squad from October 2012 through to March 2013 and signed a new two-and-a-half year contract in January 2013.

Maupay made 19 appearances and scored four goals during the 2012–13 season and when making his Ligue 1 debut and scoring his first Ligue 1 goal, he became the second-youngest player to achieve both feats.

Despite his breakthrough into the first team squad during the 2012–13 season and after recovering from injury, Maupay was out of favour with manager Claude Puel during 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons, which ultimately caused his departure in August 2015.

He made 53 appearances and scored nine goals during three seasons as a first team player at the Allianz Riviera.

Maupay's season was ended by a torn cruciate ligament suffered during a reserve match on 14 April 2013.

On 10 August 2015, Maupay transferred to Ligue 1 club Saint-Étienne on a four-year contract for a €500,000 fee.

Despite making 23 appearances and scoring three goals during the 2015–16 season, he departed on loan for the duration of 2016–17 and left the club in July 2017.

His first Ligue 1 goal came in the stoppage time of a 3–2 win over Evian, aged 16 years and 123 days, to be the youngest scorer in the 21st century.

On 20 July 2016, Maupay joined Ligue 2 club Brest on a season-long loan.

He had a good start to the 2016–17 season, scoring 10 goals in his opening 21 matches, winning the August 2016 UNFP Ligue 2 Player of the Month award and receiving nominations in September, October and December.

Injuries in December 2016 and February 2017 disrupted Maupay's good form and he finished the season with 12 goals in 31 appearances.

On 14 July 2017, Maupay moved to England to join Championship club Brentford on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee, reported to be £1.6 million.

The club's France scout Brendan MacFarlane, who would also go on to identify Saïd Benrahma, Julian Jeanvier and Bryan Mbeumo, played a key role in the identification of the player as a target.

He was deployed as a forward and scored three goals in his opening six appearances for the club, with his first goal coming in a 4–3 defeat to Nottingham Forest on 12 August 2017.

By mid-December, Maupay was considered the best "super-sub" of 2017–18 Championship season so far, with four of his five league goals having been scored during substitute appearances.

He finished the 2017–18 season with 46 appearances and as the club's top-scorer, with 13 goals.

He broke into the starting lineup during the protracted transfer of first choice forward Lasse Vibe away from Griffin Park in January 2018 and he assumed the role full time after Vibe's departure early the following month.

Maupay showed improved goalscoring form between mid-January and mid-April, with a run of seven goals in 15 matches.

Maupay had an excellent start to the 2018–19 season and scored 13 goals in his first 17 league appearances.

Five goals in August 2018 and four in September led to nominations for the August PFA Fans' Championship Player of the Month and the September EFL Championship Player of the Month awards respectively.

Maupay won the EFL Player of the Year award at the 2019 London Football Awards, after he scored 18 goals in 30 appearances by the end of January 2019.

He finished a mid-table season with 28 goals in 49 appearances and was voted the Brentford's Supporters' and Players' Player of the Year.

On 5 August 2019, Maupay moved to Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion on undisclosed terms, for a fee reported to be in the region of £20 million on a four-year deal.

Maupay scored on his debut in the opening match of the 2019–20 season, scoring the third for The Seagulls in a 3–0 away win over Watford.

On 14 September, Maupay opened the scoreline in an eventual 1–1 draw against Burnley, claiming his first home goal for the Sussex club.

Maupay scored his 10th goal of the season in a 1–1 away draw against Southampton on 16 July 2020, helping Brighton earn an important point towards safety.

Maupay opened his scoring tally on the second game of the season scoring two inside the first seven minutes in an eventual 3–0 away win over Newcastle.

On 26 September, Manchester United were given a penalty after the final whistle due to VAR deeming Maupay to have committed handball right at the end.

Bruno Fernandes converted the penalty with United winning the match 3–2; Maupay also scored a penalty himself earlier on in the game in Panenka style.

Maupay was sent off after the full time whistle on 9 May in a 2–1 away loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers for confronting the referee, Jonathan Moss.

As a result, Maupay missed the last three games of the season.

Maupay equalised against Burnley on 14 August in the opening game of the 2021–22 season, a 2–1 away win on Maupay's 25th birthday.

On 27 September, away at rivals Crystal Palace, Maupay scored an added-time equaliser in a 1–1 draw.