EURO dream influenced Furman's Toulouse move

Polish international Dominik Furman is dreaming of representing his country at UEFA EURO 2016 following his decision to leave Legia Warszawa for Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse FC.

The defensive midfielder, 21, ended a long association with the capital club earlier this month when he moved to Les Pitchouns for around €2.7m – a fee that makes him the fourth most expensive player in Legia's history.

Furman scored three goals in 46 Ekstraklasa games, helping his side to the Ekstraklasa title last season, but could not resist the pull of playing in France when the call came. "I will never forget my time with Legia," he told UEFA.com.

"I joined when I was 13 but adapted very quickly. Then I won the league with Legia and the Polish Cup twice. The club are deep in my heart, but I did not have any doubts when Toulouse came to buy me. The French league is much better than the Polish and I felt it was the right time to move."

Furman earned the second of his two caps in a February 2013 friendly against Romania and hopes his gentle introduction to the senior setup – he has come off the bench for both of his outings – is just the start of an international career that could peak with an appearance at the continental finals in France.

"One of my biggest goals is to play at EURO 2016," he said. "That convinced me when I was deciding my future. The French league is growing; here I can face such giants as Zlatan Ibrahimović and Radamel Falcao. Due to the EURO there will be new stadiums while others, including the one in Toulouse, will be renovated.

"It means this is a good time for football in France and I am happy I can be part of it. Of course, now I must focus on Toulouse, but there is a dream somewhere in the back of my mind that Poland will qualify for the EURO and with any luck play in Toulouse, possibly against France."

Furman will sport the No13 jersey for his new team. An unlucky number for some, but not for the Szydlowiec-born player who "went for 13 for two reasons". "First, I reached a verbal agreement with Toulouse on 13 January and, second, my friend Lado Dvalishvili wears 13 for Legia," he said.

Furman's arrival in the southern city prompted a local newspaper to run an article alluding to his hair style and playing position, with the headline: "Furman, the new Beckham from Toulouse". "In such cases it's good that I don't understand French yet," he joked. "I can't read these articles so there is no pressure."

As for his transfer fee, Furman, who has penned a four-and-a-half-year contract, said: "I don't care about the figures. The millions are not in my head, they don't affect me. I am focused on football, nothing else matters."