Jean Michael Seri

Jean Michael Seri (born 19 July 1991) is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for EFL Championship side Fulham. He also plays for the Ivory Coast national team.

Club Career

Early career in the Ivory Coast

In his native Ivory Coast, the young Seri was nicknamed "Galla", because he tried to emulate the former Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marcelo Gallardo, whose technical skills he admired. Seri joined the Ivorian football academy that was opened in 2001 by the Ivorian footballer Cyril Domoraud. "Jean is gifted, intelligent and respectful," Domoraud said in retrospect. "In his young days, he was one step ahead of the others, thanks to his ball control."

Born in the south-western city of Grand-Bereby, Seri began his career as a youth player with Abidjan club Africa Sports d'Abidjan in July 2007. The best clubs in Ivory Coast fought for his services. In January 2010, Seri started his career as a senior player by joining ASEC Mimosas, the most successful club in Ivorian football, where he needed just one season to prove himself and become one of the best players in the country. "He is a great listener, and his state of mind is impeccable," raved Sebastien Desabre, ASEC Mimosas's head coach from October 2010 to October 2012 when Seri was a senior player there, and that quality enabled Seri to make steady progress.

Porto

On 2 November 2012, Seri joined Primeira Liga club Porto on loan, after impressing their scouts. However, there was no place for Seri in the club's first team. He was thus forced to play for the club's reserve team, scoring once in 19 Segunda Liga matches in the first five months of 2013.

Pacos de Ferreira

On 31 August 2013, two months after finishing his loan spell at Porto (the Dragoes), Seri joined another Primeira Liga club Pacos de Ferreira on a permanent basis and on a free transfer by signing a three-year deal. He debuted for the

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