GAMES While most of his peers are still torn between studying and partying, Nathan De Cat was in the spotlight on Sunday evening in his very first Clasico. The 17-year-old Anderlecht defender even received a standing ovation when he was substituted. Not since Youri Tielemans has a teenager in purple and white made such an impression.
Against Standard, De Cat played with the ease of a street footballer. Everything seemed natural: strength in duels, vision, and calmness on the ball. “Hats off to that boy,” coach Besnik Hasi praised him afterwards. “To perform like that at such a young age is not to be underestimated. He reads the game excellently and distributes well. He also takes a lot of knocks, but because he is so big, the referees don't always see that.”
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Continue reading His height – 1.92 meters – makes his presence even more striking, especially since he was born prematurely seventeen years ago. He has since relegated Enric Llansana to the bench and seems to have secured his place for good. He has put the mistakes he made in the early stages – such as against Häcken and in Athens – behind him. Against Standard, he won almost every duel and broke up every attack by the Rouches. His nonchalant appearance with his socks pulled down gives him an iconic look.
His teammates are also full of praise. “He stays calm under pressure and always plays the ball out,” says Yari Verschaeren. Twenty minutes before the end, Hasi took him off, not for a standing ovation but out of necessity: “Nathan still finds it physically difficult to play a full 90 minutes.”
The question now is how indispensable De Cat is becoming for Anderlecht. The young midfielder would like to go to the World Cup in Qatar with the Belgian U17 team, but the purple and white are hesitant. “We will decide this week,” Hasi confirmed. “We may have to protect him from himself, because he is already playing a lot.”
And so, at the age of 17, De Cat faces a dilemma: will he choose the World Cup in Qatar or a top match with Anderlecht against Club Brugge? One thing is clear: the future of the purple and white is already ahead of him.
