Top facts about Ludovic Ajorque, Strasbourg striker

Ludovic Ajorque is a French footballer who plays as a center-forward for

. He was born on February 25, 1994 in Saint-Joseph (La Réunion).

Ludovic Ajorque’s age

is 28. Here, you can find the most important facts about

, Strasbourg center-forward.

The first fact about Ludovic Ajorque is that he started playing football at SCO Angers when he was young. For the 2014/15 season he was awarded to Le Poiré-sur-Vie VF in the third French league (National (D3)).

In the following 2015–16 season, Angers loaned him out again, this time to Luçon VF. After the season there was a permanent move to Ligue 2 at Clermont Foot where Ajorque quickly became a regular.

Anotheranger notable fact about Ludovic Ajorque is that he has been under contract with Racing Straßburg since July 2018, with whom he won the 2018/19 Coupe de France in his first season. His contract runs until June 30, 2024.

An important fact about Ludovic Ajorque is that he is the son of former football player Jean-Noël Ajorque, who played in the RC Lens second team between 1990 and 1993.

Top facts about Ludovic Ajorque:

Ajorque began his sports career at Angers SCO II, who loaned him out to Vendée Poiré sur Vie Football in the 2014–15 season, and to Luçon FC, before leaving the club for good in 2016, when he signed for Clermont Foot de la Ligue 2.

After scoring 19 goals in 65 games, and over two seasons, with Clermont, he signed for RC Strasbourg in Ligue 1, making his debut in the category on August 12, 2018, in a match against Girondins de Bordeaux.

Born in Réunion, Ajorque, he has Malagasy descent, declining the call for the Madagascar soccer team in March 2018.

Ludovic Ajorque early life

Regarding

Ludovic Ajorque’s childhood

, it should be mentioned that he was born on February 25, 1994 in Saint-Joseph, Reunion, the son of Jean-Nol Ajorque, a former footballer who played with the RC Lens reserve team from 1990 to 1993.

In 2011, he made a few appearances for AS Excelsior, where he played alongside his father. There is no more information available about

Ludovic Ajorque’s parents

.

Ludovic Ajorque personal life

With Malagasy ancestry, Ajorque piqued the interest of Madagascar's selection for the year 2018. He has been the sponsor of the Danone Nations Cup in Réunion since 2020.

Ludovic Ajorque professional career

It is believed that Ludovic Ajorque is not exactly the most versatile player. He doesn’t have the athleticism or the dribbling ability to play out wide if needed like what Marcus Thuram does.

Ludovic Ajorque club career

FC Nantes tried him out, but he was not retained due to quotas on the number of players under contract.

An agreement was reached with RC Lens at the beginning of 2012, but the desire to postpone the transfer until the summer has resulted in its cancellation. He eventually arrived at the SCO in Angers and joined Training Center.

Angers

Ajorque, who scored ten goals in twenty-two games with the reserve team in CFA 2 during the 2013-2014 season, joined the first team in the summer of 2014 and played his first game in the first round of the League Cup against Nîmes Olympique on August 12, which his team won 2-1.

An important fact about Ludovic Ajorque is that he made two appearances in the professional group at the start of the 2014-2015 fiscal year before being loaned to Poiré-sur-Vie VF, a National club, in November.

He scored in his first game against Stade Pontivy in the seventh round of the Coupe de France, but he suffered a thigh injury in mid-December that kept him out for more than two months.

On his return, he scored two goals against

and Fréjus-Saint-Raphael, assisting the club in maintaining its sporting status.

While the SCO progressed to Ligue 1, Ajorque was loaned out to Luzon FC at National, where he scored nine goals in thirty-three appearances.

Clermont

Ajorque signs a three-year contract with Clermont Foot in July 2016. On August 26, 2016, he scored his first goal in his new colors against AC Ajaccio, allowing his team to win 2-1.

He was out of the game for three months between November 2016 and February 2017 due to a fracture at the base of the fifth metatarsal on his right foot.

Scorer against Stade Brestois 29 on February 7, he scored three more goals at the end of season three. His second season is more convincing, with the player scoring fourteen times in thirty-seven games to finish sixth in Ligue 2.

Strasbourg

On June 4, 2018, he signs a four-year contract with Racing Club de Strasbourg and discovers Ligue 1 for the first time, stating that he is interested in the project and the fans of Racing, which is enjoying its second consecutive season in the top flight after its judicial liquidation in 2011.

On March 9, 2019, he recorded the fastest double of the season in Ligue 1 against

, in 103 seconds. In 2019, he won the League Cup.

With 15 goals this season, he is the fourth highest scorer in Ligue 1 and the third highest scorer in France.

On January 24, 2021, he scored his tenth goal of the season against

Football Côte-d'Or, breaking his Ligue 1 record for goals in a single season. He is the first Strasbourg player to break through this symbolic barrier since David Zitelli's 19 goals in the 1996-1997 season.

Ludovic Ajorque has been the driving force behind Strasbourg's spectacular surge to the top of Ligue 1 this season. The club from the northeast of France is in their sixth consecutive season in the top flight. Few, though, anticipated them to do as well as they have so far in the season.

The club's strikers, who have dominated Ligue 1, deserve a lot of credit for that. Habib Diallo and Ajorque have combined to score half of Strasbourg's goals this season, as well as having seven additional goal involvements.

Ludovic Ajorqued has played second fiddle to

and, more recently, Idriss Saadi since his arrival from Clermont Foot in the 2018-19 Ligue 1 season.

The French attacker was primarily kept in the reserves and on the bench due to his lack of experience in the Premier League. Despite this, he has eleven goals in this season. Last season, Ajorque made his big break when he was elevated to captain Strasbourg's line. The 27-year-old did not let us down.

Last season, he scored six goals in his first 15 games, assisting on nine points for the team. Last season, his relationship with Habib Diallo took off, with the Senegalese attacker dropping back to enable his French counterpart to exploit the opposition's open areas.

Last season, the partnership helped Laurey's team win crucial Ligue 1 matches against Saint-Etienne,

, and Lens. After the season, Laurey became the manager of Paris FC. This season, Ajorque has emerged as one of the top players in Ligue 1.

This season, the striker is second in the division in terms of goals scored, behind only Jonathan David. The Frenchman has 10 goals and six assists in 18 games this season. He has more goal involvements in the French top flight than any other player in the league.

His effect on the pitch has been so great that current coach Julien Stephan has started him in half of those 18 games. Following Diallo's absence from the squad due to his involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations, the Frenchman's responsibilities will only grow in the next games.

An important

fact about Ludovic Ajorque

is that he scored again in their most recent match, which was three days ago against Metz. As a result, his team was able to earn a 2-0 victory and climb to the ninth place in the league rankings.

Ludovic Ajorque international career

In 2010, he was a member of the Réunion U17 selection, which competed in the 2011 CAN qualifiers for the under-17s.

His team lost at the gates of the final phase against Bertrand Traoré of Burkina Faso after passing two rounds. Since 2017, Ludovic has been approached by Madagascar's selection, but he has always declined their offer.

Ludovic Ajorque and possible French invitation

By statistics, Strasbourg has one of the greatest offensive lines in Europe this season, owing in large part to Ludovic Ajorque. The 6'6 center-forward has now contributed 14 goals in 17 games, second only to

in Ligue 1, and his nine goals and five assists mean that only Mbappé has contributed to more goals in Ligue 1 this season.

Without a question, the 27-year-old has piqued the interest of Europe's finest scouts, and some even feel he has a place in the French national team if his current form continues.

An important

fact about Ludovic Ajorque

is that he was born on the island of Réunion, a French overseas possession 500 miles east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.

Ludovic, who is of Réunionese and Malagasy origin, was contacted by the Madagascan FA in 2018, but he rejected, citing that he would prefer focus on club football at the time.

He also comes from a long line of athletes in his family. Jean-father, Nol's Jean-Nol, was a reserve player for Lens from 1990 to 1994 before spending the remainder of his career on his native island of Réunion.

Angers took a risk on Ajorque when he was 18 years old, and he came in Metropolitan France in 2012. He got his first professional contract at the age of 20, although he would only play one game for Angers in the Coupe de la Ligue first round.

He was subsequently loaned out for the next two years, first to Le Poiré-sur-Vie VF and later to Luçon VF, both third-tier clubs at the time. Given where he is today, it's hard to believe that Ajorque had never played in the top two categories of French football until his 22nd birthday.

Ajorque moved to Clermont-Ferrand in Ligue 2 in the summer of 2016. In his debut season, he scored five goals and provided four assists in 28 league games, helping the Auvergne club finish in the middle of the table. He was a lot more productive the next season.

An important fact about Ludovic Ajorque is that he scored 14 goals and added three assists in 36 appearances, making him the sixth-highest scorers in Ligue 2. As a result, he was given the chance to play in Ligue 1 with Racing Strasbourg. He has played 118 games with Le Racing in all competitions, scoring 47 goals and assisting 17.

Notably, he owns the record for the fastest brace in Ligue 1 history, scoring in the 69th and 70th minutes in a 2-2 draw with Lyon in the 2018/19 season — 103 seconds between goals.

For a long time, Ajorque's goal-scoring skill has gone unappreciated. He scored 16 goals last season, putting him in a tie for fourth place with Burak Yilmaz, Gatan Laborde, and Kevin Volland.

Given that his team very narrowly avoided relegation on the penultimate day, this is an extraordinary achievement. After 19 games, the Strasbourg striker is equal third in the scoring chart with nine goals from 17 appearances.

Not only does he have a strong scoring record, but he also has the ability to motivate his teammates. "He's an altruistic player who doesn't simply care about his personal numbers," Strasbourg midfielder Adrien Thomasson told Téléfoot.

It's a reality that his five assists in 17 games this season attest to. Thomasson praised his work rate as well as his determination to defend himself.

"He also has a knack of giving it his best and protecting the squad. He's always the first to push and the first to defend."

Ajorque averages 1.18 clearances per 90 minutes, which puts him in the top 12% of attackers in Europe's top five leagues this season, and 1.3 tackles per 90 minutes, according to FBRef (top 9 percent). He's a huge asset on both ends of the field, winning 5.27 aerial duels per 90 minutes and ranking in the top 6% of attackers.

Some supporters are beginning to consider him a possibility for the French national team after a good start to the 21/22 season, despite the fact that he has stiff competition in his position.

Didier Deschamps doesn't usually rearrange his team between international vacations, and any changes are usually due to injuries or drastic drops in form.

A notable fact about Ludovic Ajorque is that he will face Kylian Mbappé,

, and

at this year's World Cup in Qatar. Deschamps has a vast pool of French talent at his disposal as a fourth option.

Marcus Thuram was called up for the Euros this summer and has four caps to his record, but he was sidelined for two months in August due to an injury. Despite his great form with Montpellier and now Rennes in 2021, Gatan Laborde has yet to receive a cap for France.

One advantage Ajorque has over those players is his resemblance to Olivier Giroud, who was constantly selected by Deschamps because of his ability to play the position of hold-up striker who invites others into action.

With the proviso that Ajorque isn't the most versatile player on the team. He lacks Marcus Thuram's agility and dribbling abilities, for example, to play out wide if necessary.

The market worth of "Le Volcano Bomber," as he is popularly known among Strasbourg fans owing to his Réunionese heritage (Réunion is a volcanic island) and hard-man appearance (bomber as in the record by rock band Motörhead), is presently valued at over £11 million.

The club, on the other hand, is unlikely to be interested in selling. Strasbourg will fight tooth and nail to retain his services this season in order to help them compete for European berths.

Ludovic Ajorque and Strasbourg success

Strasbourg made a statement this summer by selecting a coach who, less than 18 months ago, guided Stade Rennais to an unexpected third-place finish and removing the manager who helped lay the groundwork for where they are now.

Following a dismal season last season, the team has had a promising start to this season, with an appealing brand.

This start will be led by a striker who has established himself as a footballing hero in his homeland, the island where he grew up thousands of miles away from where he plays today, and who has impressed with his altruistic playstyle and ability to work well with his teammates while still finding the back of the net.

Racing Club Strasbourg Alsace has had a great start to the new season under the leadership of former Stade Rennais coach Julien Stéphan, who took over after Thierry Laurey left the team during the summer. The club is now in eighth position.

Laurey led the Alsatians for five years, from 2016 to 2021. They were a freshly promoted Ligue 2 team when he took over, but he got them promoted and qualified for Europe in 2019 by winning the penultimate Coupe de la Ligue, only three years after their promotion from the third tier.

However, when the opponent advanced up the field, his style of play grew more cautious, relying on staying focused.

Despite having one of the greatest striker lineups among mid-table teams, they barely survived the relegation playoff by a handful of points last season while playing their counter-based style.

Following the news that South African line-leader Lebo Mothiba would be out for an extended period of time with an injury from which he has yet to recover, Strasbourg signed Senegalese striker Habib Diallo from fierce local rivals Metz for a club-record €10 million last summer, and he has since proven his worth.

Despite competition from homecoming hero Kévin Gameiro this season, which has resulted in a mix of starts and replacement appearances, he has four goals this season.

The actual gem in Strasbourg's offensive crown, though, is their focal point, their high-fulcrum, and someone who does not play like a man of his stature should.

A notable fact about Ludovic Ajorque is that he was born in February 1994 on the French island of Réunion, off the east coast of Madagascar.

He was spotted as a teenager by Angers and played for Les Scostes from 2012 to 2016, with his performances there and a profitable loan spell in the third-tier National attracting the attention of Clermont Foot.

His second season there, the 2017-18 Ligue 2, was a breakthrough, with 14 goals and just two points separating them from the promotion playoffs. It was enough to persuade Strasbourg to sign him, and he would have the opportunity to break into Ligue 1 for the first time.

"It's my island," he said of his upbringing and childhood, "I spent 17 years there, and I try to portray it in the best manner possible." Ajorque is a hero of his people in a territory almost 9,200 kilometers from the mainland, and Racing jerseys have become more prevalent in the area throughout the three full seasons that followed.

"They stay up pretty late to watch me play in the nighttime games, even with the time difference," he said, "so if you travel to Saint-Joseph, you could run across one or two individuals wearing a Racing jersey."

He did not disappoint from the start, scoring 17 league goals in his first two seasons, although this may not be a whole picture of what he provided Les Coureurs up top.

A notable fact about Ludovic Ajorque is that he can re-adjust his body to various angles fluidly, despite his 6'6" size, and he has a perfect combination of hold-up, link-up, and stretching actions behind opposition center backs.

He possesses the aerial and physical presence that made him fit for a little-and-large striking duo in this period, mostly with Mothiba, and Madagascar asked him about representing them because of his Malagasy origin.

He has yet to play for them or France at the senior level, but after the season he had last season, he has placed himself in a strong position. He scored a personal-best 16 league goals in 2020/21, outscoring just three individuals and outscoring all other bottom-half teams.

His score was just short of a third of Strasbourg's league total of 49 goals, and he added four assists to give him a direct hand in 20 Ligue 1 goals, a record only eight people have accomplished, and he once again led individuals in a club that finished in the bottom half of the table.

He has scored and produced to great success this season, an ever-present with four goals and five assists, ensuring his place as a crucial cog in Stéphan's Strasbourg.

In this new configuration, he is given greater leeway to push from the front while still being smart enough to block the lane, and he sets out on runs behind the pack where he is not the fastest but still makes excellent use of his muscle and agility.

With a pair of assists in a 3-1 win over Brest, the winner in a 0-1 win over Lens, and the set-up for Gameiro's equalizer against Montpellier, his efforts have been pivotal.

His awareness of his surroundings is great, and although he may seem odd to some for not playing how one would expect given his profile, the results speak for themselves.

A notable

fact about Ludovic Ajorque

is that he understands what it takes to play in a striking pair, and he has the selflessness in his game to put the best option first, as well as the decision-making to set a runner up perfectly once numbers have been pulled to him.

The finest phase seems to be coming to a conclusion; with his contract extended until 2024, Strasbourg might enjoy his qualities and abilities for many more years.

Ludovic Ajorque quotes

Ludovic Ajorque, who was born 25 years ago in Saint-Joseph, a town on Réunion's southern tip, is still deeply devoted to his country. “It's my own island. I spent 17 years of my life there, and I strive to give it the best possible representation.

My whole family is still based there. I'm delighted to be able to return there throughout the season's breaks. It's critical that I replenish my batteries.”

“Every time I return to Réunion, I make an effort to attend a game in the local league. It'll be strange to come up against them on the field.”

About what he misses the most about his home, he has said, “My loved ones. I only get to visit them once or twice a year for a month at a time.

It's not always easy, but after living in mainland France for many years, I'm beginning to get accustomed to it. I miss the pleasant weather as well, but I can't say I'm complaining about it in Strasbourg right now.”

“I make an effort to give each member of my family a shirt. It's crucial for me since they provide unwavering support throughout the year. I haven't completed distributing them yet since I have a huge family (smiles). I want to bring them joy.”

“Even with the time difference, they stay up late to watch me play in the evening games. So if you travel to Saint-Joseph, you could run across one or two persons wearing Racing t-shirts.”

About football in Reunion he has said, “I get the impression that things are improving. In a friendly a few days earlier, the national squad defeated Valenciennes. Réunion has several excellent players, but getting recognized is tough due to the island's distance from mainland France (9,000 kilometers).”

“This year, I had the opportunity to start a local match. As was the case when I played for AS Excelsior, teams are often made up of young players.”

“The standard, in my opinion, is heading in the correct way. In recent years, we've seen teams defeat 3rd and 4th division French clubs in the Coupe de France early stages.

Pre-season fixtures against professional French teams are also available for the national team (Valenciennes, Strasbourg, Chambly). This can only help them improve.”

Ludovic Ajorque and powerful trio at Strasbourg

RC Strasbourg Alsace is having a great season, and their striking three of Ludovic Ajorque, Habib Diallo, and Kévin Gameiro has helped Julien Stéphan's club become the most productive in Ligue 1 Uber Eats outside of Paris.

Ajorque, Diallo, and Gameiro have combined for 19 goals this season, out of a total of 31 for Strasbourg in 16 games. "It's in the club's DNA to attack and take risks," Stéphan remarked after Racing pounded Girondins de Bordeaux 5-2 on Wednesday, their sixth game this season in which they have scored three goals or more.

Just

(35) has scored more goals than Strasbourg, although its superstar front three of Kylian Mbappé, Neymar Jr., and

have combined for only 11 goals.

Adrien Thomasson, who has five goals and two assists from his offensive midfield position, has been an excellent supporter for Strasbourg's front three.

In Stéphan's preferred 3-5-2 formation, all three of Ajorque, Diallo, and Gameiro are seldom used in the same starting lineup. This season, they have only started together once. Ligue1.com, on the other hand, opted to honor all three of them at the same time. Let's refer to them as the ADG.

With his 1.97m frame, giant attacker Ajorque has continued where he left off last season. Ajorque scored 16 league goals for Thierry Laurey's Strasbourg team in 2020-21.

The Réunion-born forward has already scored eight goals and contributed five assists this season under a new coach in Stéphan. It's no surprise that Ajorque is almost always the first name on the teamsheet each week; only goalkeeper Matz Sels and center-back Alexander Djiku had played more minutes at the start of Round 17.

Strasbourg has gone undefeated in their previous five games, with Ajorque scoring four goals, including a brace at the Stade de la Meinau's thrashing of Bordeaux on Wednesday. Ajorque, who just played his 100th game in the Premier League, scores a variety of goals, but he is also a dangerous aerial threat.

Given his stature, it's no surprise that Ajorque draws inspiration from Guillaume Hoarau, a former PSG striker from the Indian Ocean island of Réunion. Dimitri Payet is another French overseas département native. He was a member of France's national team for 38 years, winning 38 caps.

Ajorque, 27, has never been called up to the national team, but if he continues to score goals at his present pace, he might make Didier Deschamps' roster. Ajorque has previously turned down an invitation to play for Madagascar.

When Gameiro returned to Strasbourg in the offseason, 13 years after leaving his first professional club to join FC Lorient, eyebrows were raised. Gameiro, now 34, joined from Valencia on a two-year agreement, after his eight-year stay in Spain.

 "You may be confident that I possess the same traits as before. I'm not ready to retire just yet. On signing, he said, "I want to show the Alsatians that they can still trust on me."

Gameiro, who has 13 appearances for France, has rapidly established himself in Stéphan's starting lineup, having appeared in 11 league games and scored four goals, including a penalty against Bordeaux in midweek.

Since returning to the top division in 2017, his knowledge at the highest level has been invaluable for a team that has spent most of its time in the bottom half.

"I believe we've come a long way since the beginning of the season," Gameiro said following the triumph on Wednesday, which put the 1979 winners in sixth position. "There are still areas where we can improve, and we must not get complacent."

"Our major goal is to ensure our survival as quickly as feasible. In every game we play, we have a good time. "Everyone is on the same team."

The purchase of Diallo from FC Metz in eastern France at the start of last season was a clear statement of purpose by Strasbourg, who paid a club record €10 million for the Senegalese international.

Diallo scored nine goals in his debut season at the Stade de la Meinau, and he has already scored seven goals this season, including braces in victories against

and

.

Diallo's goal tally is all the more amazing considering he has often been kept out of Stéphan's starting lineup. Indeed, he has only started eight games, with the rest of his appearances coming off the bench.

If the 26-year-old gets called up by Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, Strasbourg may be without him for many weeks at the start of the New Year.

"We have three extremely good attackers on our team." Stéphan recently told L'Equipe, "They're all different, they all complement one another, and they all work hard for the team."

Ludovic Ajorque social media

Regarding

Ludovic Ajorque social media

, it should be mentioned that he has an Instagram page (

) with mopre than 18k followers. On the page, we can see various pictures of him with his fans and family.

Ludovic Ajorque body measurements

Speaking about

Ludovic Ajorque body measurements

, it should be mentioned that he is 197cm and 87kg.

Ludovic Ajorque net worth and salary

Ludovic Ajorque's net worth

is estimated to be around $3 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.

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