Pedretti looking to the future

The 22-year-old continues to improve at a rate of knots as he has again been selected in Jacques Santini's French team for the upcoming Euro 2004 qualifiers.

Pedretti says that he would love to move to one of Europe's top clubs, but knows that at the moment he could not be guaranteed first-team action.

"I will be ready to leave," Pedretti told L'Equipe. "But in a great club, will I still participate the same way to the game?"

The youngster says that he has been advised to remain in Le Championnat for now in order to prove himself before being able to command a first-team place abroad.

"Anyway, I would love to stay in France. Because Lilian Thuram told me to go abroad, you first need to have a status. So I won't make that blunder."

Pedretti's current deal at Sochaux expires in 2004 and he could be looking for a move to another French side should Sochaux fail to qualify for Europe this season.