Tristan Degreef: Leuven Street Kid with Anderlecht DNA
FRIDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER 2025, 18:06 - lajoya
INTERVIEWS After a controversial tackle on Bryan Heynen, Tristan Degreef was forced to watch from the sidelines for several weeks. Tonight, the young Anderlecht winger makes his comeback, against, of all places, his first club, OH Leuven. Behind the player with a short fuse on the pitch lies a story of talent, drive, and family sacrifices.
The red card and subsequent suspension caused quite a stir, but back home in Leuven, they keep things simple. "He may have a short fuse, but off the pitch he has a heart of gold," says his mother, Anne-mie Pappaert.
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Continue reading Dad Kristof sees it from a sporting perspective: "His coach asks him to play hard, and Tristan executes. On the pitch, he goes all out to win."
First steps at OHL Degreef grew up in Valkerijgang, at the foot of the Keizersberg mountain. His athletic path began with motocross, but the ball soon made all the difference. "After his dad's races, he was always playing football around the mobile home. When we had him try out at OHL, his talent was immediately apparent," says his father.
The OHL coaches at the time were impressed by the slender boy with his mischievous smile. "He was two-footed, technically strong, and had a great vision. You rarely see that at that age," says Roel Noukens.
His father's role Kristof Degreef was the driving force behind his son's development. "If you do something, you have to do it right. Even on his days off, he trained with private trainers. Every moment was dedicated to improving," he says.
That drive sometimes caused tension at home, but according to Anne-mie, it paid off: "He says he would never have gotten this far without his father."
The move to Anderlecht At a match between OHL and Anderlecht, young Tristan immediately impressed. Then-youth coordinator Marc Van Ransbeeck: “He completely drove Marco Kana crazy. When it turned out he was a year younger, I knew: this is Anderlecht DNA.”
The move was quickly completed. For the family, it meant a significant logistical undertaking. Father Kristof adjusted his working hours at DHL to make the daily trip to Neerpede, while mother Anne-mie managed the household around training hours.
A family full of winners The will to win is no coincidence for the Degreef family. “Whether it's Monopoly or minigolf, everyone always wants to win,” smiles Anne-mie.
That mentality is also shared by brother Kyan, who chose cycling as his career path and now rides for Crabbé-Dstny U19. Whenever possible, Tristan is at the finish line to support him.
His tattoo “family over everything” sums it all up: the sporting ambition is great, but the family remains the foundation.
