CHERRIES frontman Yann Kermorgant labelled as "crazy" his potential reunion with pal Olivier Giroud – a man he once kept out of the team at Grenoble.

Kermorgant made 66 appearances for the French club in 2005-06 and 2006-07 when a young Giroud was beginning to break into the first-team squad.

Giroud eventually earned a reported £12million move to Arsenal from Montpellier in 2012 and Cherries' promotion to the Premier League last term put the pair on collision course.

Kermorgant watched Giroud in action for the Gunners on a number of occasions at the Emirates but at the time he had not envisaged he would again tread the same turf as his countryman.

And the 33-year-old Cherries hitman welcomed the chance to reunite with his friend at English football's top table.

Kermorgant told the Daily Echo: "It is incredible to think that we will meet in the Premier League next season when you think about where both of us were a few years ago. It's crazy.

"Of course I will look forward to seeing him on the pitch and even more so because it is a big club and a big stadium. That is one of the games I will look for first on the fixtures.

"I speak to him quite often on WhatsApp and I have said to him many times, 'hopefully, I will see you on the same pitch next season' and now we know it will happen.

"It always seems that when both of us are in London we are not in the same place. We want to meet up with our families but it is always the same – we end up saying we will meet later."

Kermorgant admitted that on-pitch similarities in the approach of himself and Giroud, and the respective stages of their career, had meant that a regular partnership had never been likely at Grenoble.

And, unsurprisingly, he felt Giroud's career decisions had paid off.

Kermorgant added: "We used to work together at the end of training sessions on things like crossing and finishing but he didn't play too much at that time.

"I was playing in the same position and was the same kind of player – an aerial threat – so it did not suit him as I was in front of him.

"He had to grow step by step and as he had a lot of time to play, he decided to move and I think that was a good decision!

"Of course it is a pleasure for me to see where he has come from and where he is now."