London24NEWS

Could AC Milan prospect Charles De Ketelaere provide hope for Belgium at the World Cup?

Belgium’s golden generation is nearing its end but Charles De Ketelaere is providing hope for the future… the AC Milan youngster – who could have been a tennis star and studied law at university – is a fine dribbler and an incisive passer

  • Belgium’s hugely talented golden generation is almost approaching its end
  • AC Milan prospect Charles De Ketelaere offers hope for Belgium going forward
  • The attacking midfielder has superb vision and is also an excellent dribbler
  • De Ketelaere has had a slow start to life at AC Milan but has much potential 

For many, it is a surprise that Belgium’s golden generation have been unable to taste success at the World Cup.

They came close to doing so in 2018 with their best ever run in the competition but ended up finishing in third place, while they recently had a long stint at the top of the FIFA World Rankings and currently sit second.

However, the final step has so far managed to elude Belgium despite them being able to call upon stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois.

AC Milan attacking midfielder Charles de Ketelaere, 21, is an excellent prospect for Belgium

Belgium finished third at the 2018 World Cup but their golden generation is nearing an end

While some players remain part of the team, many of Belgium’s leading lights are no longer at the peak of their powers and thoughts are beginning to turn to the next crop of players.

Speaking last year following Belgium’s defeat by Italy in the UEFA Nations League, De Bruyne suggested that the days of the golden generation are nearing an end.

He said: ‘With all due respect we are “just” Belgium. It’s a new generation, we were missing Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard today, so we have to be realistic about the team we have.

‘Italy, France and Spain have 22 top players to choose from and we do not.’

One player who will be determined to step up and become a superstar for Belgium is Charles de Ketelaere. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder is seen as a very bright talent and his progress earned him a move to AC Milan from Club Brugge in the summer of 2022.

De Ketelaere endured a slow start to his Milan career, but he is still expected to play a significant role for Belgium at the World Cup this winter.

Kevin De Bruyne admits Belgium don’t have the same quality of squad as they did previously

Having made his debut for the national team against Switzerland in 2020, De Ketelaere proceeded to score his first international goal against Italy the following year.

What is De Ketelaere’s playing style like? 

While he is usually deployed in the No 10 position at club level, the prospect has been used in a variety of roles for the national team, featuring as a striker and on either flank.

One of De Ketelaere’s biggest strengths is his tactical understanding of the game and his appreciation of space. Although he isn’t exactly the same type of player as De Bruyne, De Ketelaere possesses some similar attributes to his international colleague and the prospect of having to face both of them is a daunting one for opposition nations.

An excellent dribbler who controls the ball well, De Ketelaere is also capable of playing incisive passes that can catch the opposition out. Given his passing range it can be very difficult to predict what his next move is going to be.

In terms of goalscoring, De Ketelaere demonstrated during his final season at Club Brugge that he is capable of finding the net with regularity – he scored 18 goals in 49 appearances across all competitions. At international level he requires more experience in order to become a significant goal threat, but he has the characteristics and attacking instincts required to develop into a player who can score with regularity.

What is his background?

De Ketelaere signed for Club Brugge in 2008 at the age of seven. He could have pursued a career as a tennis player but elected to play football instead.

It isn’t just on the football pitch where De Ketelaere has demonstrated his intelligence, however, as he also studied law at the University of Gent.

Scout Birger van de Velde was a firm believer in De Ketelaere’s ability. As reported by AC Milan’s official website, he said: ‘I have always thought that in football Charles had something special, to the point where I went straight to his mum; I let her know and she listened to me. So, I told her myself that I hoped he went to AC Milan: she owes me a shirt now…’ 

De Ketelaere could have been a tennis player but he ended up playing for Club Brugge

After making his senior debut for Club Brugge in 2019, De Ketelaere quickly gained a reputation for being one of Belgium’s brightest young prospects. He gained a lot of experience at Brugge, playing over 100 times, which included featuring in the Champions League.

A move to Milan on a five-year contract followed and if he is able to perform sufficiently then it is possible that he could even step up another level in the future.

According to Fichajes, prior to his switch to AC Milan, De Ketelaere was being tracked by several Premier League clubs including Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United.

With regards to international football, De Ketelaere worked his way up through the age groups for Belgium, featuring in the U16s, U17s, U19s and U21s before eventually breaking into the senior squad.

Can De Ketelaere help Belgium win the World Cup?

As De Bruyne previously acknowledged, Belgium’s squad isn’t as strong as it has previously been. However, if De Ketelaere is at his sharpest then he could have a significant part to play. With his fearless nature and excellent close control, he could well be one of standout players to watch at the World Cup in Qatar.

There is a feeling that this tournament may come a little too early for him and Belgium to achieve glory, but he is certainly capable of laying down a marker with regards to what he can produce on the big stage.

This World Cup may be too early for De Ketelaere to shine but it will be a great experience

The experience of playing in the most high-profile tournament in world football will undoubtedly be hugely beneficial for De Ketelaere’s future development.  

He received some criticism for his performances in the early stages of his time at AC Milan, but coach Stefano Pioli was quick to jump to the defence of the player.

Pioli pointed out that he has full faith in De Ketelaere and expects him to succeed eventually. He said: ‘Charles has a great future ahead of him. I am satisfied with what he is doing. Many criticised Leao or Tonali in the past. De Ketelaere is a talented player who needs time, the path he has taken is the right one.’

What does the future hold?

Despite a slow start at AC Milan, De Ketelaere is still widely tipped to have a very bright future

De Ketelaere has much time on his side to develop even further and it is anticipated that his importance to Belgium will continue to grow over the next few years, especially when De Bruyne enters the latter stages of his career.

Given his potential, there will be a lot of pressure on De Ketelaere to help Belgium be a success and potentially succeed where the golden generation haven’t.

This year’s World Cup will be his first chance to appear on the biggest stage of international football – he could soon be widely seen as one of Belgium’s leading lights and a player who the nation’s fans will be pinning their hopes on.