"Really did everything to keep Lavia"

OTHER An 18-year-old who was not there against Deinze yesterday is Romeo Lavia. He left Anderlecht two years ago and made an impressive debut in the Premier League last week. But there is hope: Romeo still has a younger brother Joakim. "He has already promised us that he wants to make his debut at Anderlecht," he said.


Lavia's departure was a tough one, both for the club and the supporters. "Seeing a youth player leave always hurts. But if you can say of yourself, as a staff member and as a club, that we did everything we could to keep him, then you have to come to terms with that. We really did everything to keep Roméo," head of youth education Jean Kindermans told Bruzz's Radio Radzinski podcast this week.

"If I may appease the supporters: know that at our U14 there is another brother running around, Joakim. I'm not going to say that he's at least as talented, but he also has lol quality. He is a more offensive type and has already promised us that he wants to play in the A-team at Anderlecht first."

Marco Kana also has a promising young brother in Anderlecht academy. "Lavia's little brother was born in 2009, Kana's in 2011," Kindermans said. "But feel free to write down that Crésus Kana is a top talent. I don't think I'm telling any secrets when I say that Joakim and Crésus are two phenomenal footballers. But that's how I saw some at the club in the last few days. I'm not going to mention their names."