From Ligue 2 to the UCL: The Meteoric Rise of FC Porto Star Aly Cissokho

Twelve months ago, no-one around Europe, or even Portugal, would've been familiar with the name Aly Cissokho. Not many in France would've been either.

The French-Senegalese left-back, who is just 21 years old, was plying his trade in Ligue 2 last season (French second division), with FC Gueugnon.

However, with a series of brilliant performances in which the young Frenchman outshone all the other players in the second tier of French football, it was something of an anti-climax when it was announced that the defender, who had attracted significant interest from a whole host of top Ligue 1 clubs, was going to sign for Portuguese Liga (Portuguese first division) side Vitória de Setúbal.

The young full-back had started his professional career as a 19-year-old in 2007, after coming through the FC Gueugnon youth academy.

He made his debút in the last match of 2006/07 season, where an impressive display saw the young talent being rewarded with a three-year extension to his contract with the Ligue 2 club.

The next season (2007/08), Cissokho continued where he left off. After initially struggling to break into the side, he rose to prominence in the last part of the season, ending up with 22 league appearances, including a number of outstanding displays.

Just as he was forging himself a reputation in France (with the French media producing constant speculation), on June 2, 2008, he signed for Vitória de Setúbal, on a three-year deal.

However, his stay with the club would only last five months.

Vitória de Setúbal were struggling in the league, languishing just above the relegation zone, and most likely would've been in it had it not been for the summer signing of Aly Cissokho.

In his 13 Portuguese Liga appearances, and two UEFA Cup appearances, the talented left-back had gained valuable top-flight and European experience, as well as the opportunity to showcase his talents to the European big-boys.

Cissokho was a star in the Vitória de Setúbal side, one of the key players that would help drag them out of their current predicament in the Portuguese Liga.

Such status, however, clearly showed his talent, and it wasn't long before FC Porto, who needed a left-back, came in for the youngster.

Vitória de Setúbal were forced to let go of one of their most important players, and it was announced that in January 2009, after just five months with the club, Cissokho would move north to join Portuguese powerhouses FC Porto on a four-year deal, worth around £300,000 a season.

In less than 12 months, the 21-year-old left-back had gone from initially sitting on the bench at a French second division side, to signing a four-year deal at one of Europe's top clubs.

It has been a rapid rise to success, but as with most talented young players, it's clear that Cissokho has no intention of just stopping there.

He has already become the first-choice left back for the Dragons. At the time of writing he has made nine league appearances, with three in the UEFA Champions League. His appearances in Europe have been at the business end of the tournament—the knock-out stages, and all these appearances have been from a starting position.

In the space of just one year, he has gone from tussling with French second division wingers, to marking the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year, in front of a crowd of 74,517 in a vital quarterfinal match, televised all over the world.

With such a meteoric rise to success, there is no doubt that the young full-back will be linked with even bigger and better things. I have already read somewhere that Premier League giants Manchester United and Arsenal are interested in him, as well as La Liga big-boys Real Madrid.

Speaking to the official UEFA website, Aly Cissokho spoke of his rapid rise to success, saying: "This is something else for me.

"I've just arrived at Porto, it's my first time at a big club, and it's a long way away from the level where I started in France.

"In January, I had the chance to sign for Porto and with it the opportunity to play in the UEFA Champions League.

"You have to raise your level straight away and it's not easy. It's the top level. You're playing against international players, the best players in the world, so you have to have twice as much concentration as before."

As with all talented youngsters (such as Manchester United starlet Federico Macheda, a.k.a. "Kiko") Cissokho must not get carried away with all the progress he has made.

If he can just maintain his level of performance until the end of the season, the kid who started out down low in French football could end up not just challenging the world's top players, but who knows, maybe even starting alongside them.

Nothing is certain in football, but if one thing's for sure, it's that FC Porto head coach Jesualdo Ferreira will be working damn hard this summer to keep this young talent playing at the Estadio do Dragao, and not anywhere else.