Whilst there’s plenty of talent available to the Belgium team at International level (Thomas Vermaelen, Vincent Kompany, Eden Hazard) the Belgian Pro League is also showing a number of signs of improvement. Just look at the way Anderlecht have been pumping out major young talents over the last couple of seasons.
Last season they had the rather remarkable Romelu Lukaku on their books. At just 17-years-old the big Belgium managed to put in 73 appearances for his club and score 33 goals. Of course, Chelsea came knocking, splashed £13m on him (which could rise to around £18m in the future) and then failed to give him any opportunities to prove himself in his new surroundings.
This is a player who simply can’t stop scoring (in more than three years as a youth player at Anderlecht he scored 131 goals in 93 games) and yet he hasn’t broken into a team that has struggled for goals at times this season.
Then there’s Matias Suarez a 23-year-old winger who has slowly but surely made a name for himself in European football. Over the last couple of seasons he has established himself as a vital cog in an improving Anderlecht side providing a number of goals and assists in the process.
He’s understood to be technically better than Lukaku and as a result he has found himself linked frequently to the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal in the lead up to the summer.
Which brings us to the latest Belgian whizz-kid on the block. According to The Daily Mail Manchester United are chasing 15-year-old Anderlecht striker David Henen. Manchester United have some history with Anderlecht having recently signed 17-year-old Adnan Januzaj from the Belgian Pro League side.
Before moving to Anderlecht, Henen spent three years with Standard Liege and scored a ridiculous amount of goals for their B-sides (58 in his second season alone). Whilst he doesn’t share Lukaku’s power and tenacity, he’s got great technical ability, isn’t afraid to take players on and attempt to make things happen. He’s got two great feet which allows him to play down the middle or as a wing-forward on either flank.
At 15-years-old, he’s some way off having the kind of physique necessary to challenge in the Premier League. Yet Sir Alex Ferguson may be keen to snap him up before too many others are alerted to his presence.
Whether a move happens or not, this is yet another example of the rise of Belgium football and of Anderlecht’s ability to churn out wonderfully talented young footballers.
Follow @ThePerfectPass on Twitter for details on all the latest updates and various football-related musings.
Introducing the neat little app that’ll pay you to view content tailored to your interests:
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.