Meslier was drafted into the starting eleven last season after Kiko Casilla was suspended and the young French goalkeeper never looked back.
He played in the heat of the battle for promotion in the Championship and was lauded as Leeds got promoted to the Premier League by winning the league.
The 20-year-old goalkeeper has continued to remain Leeds’ first choice in the Premier League despite the presence of Casilla in the squad and has again impressed this term as well.
Meslier is now pushing Alban Lafont in the France Under-21s squad and Ripoll is delighted to see the progress the Frenchman has made over the course of the last year.
The France Under-21s boss admits that he also rarely gets to work with two goalkeepers in the Under-21 squad who are the first choice at their respective clubs, such as Meslier and Lafont.
Ripoll was quoted as saying by French sports daily L’Equipe: “We are delighted to see Illan at this level.
“He finished last season well and has started the new one very well.
“For this position as for the others, there is competition.
“We will see how things evolve.
“I can only be delighted to have number one goalkeepers, which has not always been the case for the Under-21s.”
Leeds signed him on loan from Lorient last summer and wasted little time in making the move permanent at the end of last season.
