Having handed surprise caps to Pascal Chimbonda in 2006 and Bafetimbi Gomis earlier this year, France coach Raymond Domenech has acquired a reputation for being something of a gambler. And it was clear that in pondering his squad for Wednesday's friendly against Uruguay that the Bleus boss was mulling over another shock selection.

"I want to see new players, people who have been showing things for a few weeks, months and in some cases years," declared Domenech a few days before giving 30-year-old striker Steve Savidan his first international call-up.

Since 1945 only 17 players have won their first France cap at such a late age, and having made an average of only 2.2 appearances, most of these experienced campaigners failed to make an impression, a trend that the Caen centre-forward will be hoping to buck against the Celeste.

With 33 goals in 85 French championship outings, Savigol, as he has become known, has scored an average of 0.388 goals per game, a strike rate that compares well with that of his new international team-mate Karim Benzema, who has an average of 0.393 per league game.

"I am a fan," said the Lyon front man when asked about Savidan. "He's a goalscorer, a good passer of the ball and an excellent player in general. He's had a fantastic start to the season, he's in form and I rate him highly. He participates a lot but he doesn't try to do too much or try to be something he's not."

From humble beginnings, Savidan has charted a circuitous route to the top. As a child he enjoyed playing in goal before becoming a striker in his teenage years. He played amateur football and worked as a barman while taking his school leaving examinations. By the age of 21, however, he knew the only thing he wanted to do was become a professional footballer, a decision prompted by his haul of 18 goals with Angers in the French third tier. The club went into voluntary liquidation, however, leaving the budding striker in a difficult position.

"I couldn't get by on my salary so I used work as a dustman from 5 to 12 every morning and then go and train," he recalls. "And at night I worked as a barman. When you don't have much in the way of school qualifications you can't really aspire to a lot. I went to the human resources department at the local authority and took what they gave me."

In 1999 he signed his first professional contract with La Berrichonne de Chateauroux, then coached by Joel Bats. The former Bleus goalkeeper was sacked before long, however, and when his successor decided Savidan was surplus to requirements, four and a half seasons in the wilderness followed as he journeyed from club to club without success.

"There I was, putting my wife and child through misery because of my football career, which just refused to take off. That's when the Savigol thing started. That's when I decided I was going to do everything I could to become a success. I've changed a lot of things in my life since then, not least putting an end to all my excesses."

In 2004 he accepted an offer from Valenciennes coach Daniel Leclercq and packed his bags for the north. Settling quickly into his new surroundings, he racked up 35 goals to help VA shoot up from the third to the top flight in just two seasons.

Few believed that Savidan would prove quite so prolific in Ligue 1 but he proved the doubters wrong by notching 13 goals in 34 games in his first season and then scoring exactly the same number in his second. In the meantime, the striker tried his hand at the restaurant business, opening up an eatery in Valenciennes. "My proudest achievement so far is the fact I have been able to employ seven local people full time," he comments. "If there's something that really matters in a region that has been hit hard in economic terms, then it is work."

His aim was to stay at the club that revived his ailing career, but it was not to be. "The directors at Valenciennes have made their decision," he said at the start of the new season. "That's the way it is and I respect that. I'm just a little disappointed to be leaving the club so suddenly."

Awaiting Savidan was a new adventure in Caen, where he has made an explosive start to the new term, scoring seven goals in 14 matches, an impressive return that has helped him earn a place in the France squad.

"I'm delighted to be with the team," said the newcomer after arriving at France's Clairefontaine training headquarters. "I am here to listen, learn and play an active role, and when I look back on how far I have travelled I feel very happy. Being here, though, also gives me a chance to assess what I still need to achieve".

"I don't know much about their football," continued the Caen goal-getter when asked about his first international opponents. "All I know is that it's a South American country where it's humid in summer and cold in winter." Similarly, the Uruguayans are pretty much in the dark about Savidan. If he has his way, however, they will know all about him come the final whistle on Wednesday evening.