INTERVIEWS For Anderlecht midfielder Nathan De Cat (17), another crucial match awaits tomorrow against STVV. His market value is rising fast, the club is working on a new contract… and in between training sessions he still has to tackle geography and maths. “I think I passed. As far as I'm concerned, I studied really hard.”
It's exam season in Belgian secondary schools, and even the teenager who has become indispensable for Anderlecht has to bury his head in his books.
Despite the gloomy mood after the heavy 4–0 defeat against Westerlo, Neerpede briefly lit up this week. De Cat was awarded Player of the Month for November, an initiative of the Pro League and various French-speaking media partners. His teammates applauded him before training. Understandably so: Anderlecht collected a perfect 12 out of 12 in November, with wins over Union and Club Brugge. De Cat featured in every match. “The trophy will have pride of place in my room, by the window,” he laughs.
Between the school desk and the pitch
He doesn't have much time to enjoy the recognition. De Cat is in his final year of secondary school in Wemmel, studying Sports with a football specialisation, and like every other student he has exams. “I had my maths exam on Tuesday,” he says. “I think I passed. I studied hard.”
He doesn't consider himself a top student. Coach Besnik Hasi has previously joked about his difficult geography exam. Anderlecht provides a study coach, but De Cat spends far more time at the club than in school. This season he has already played 1,674 of a possible 2,250 minutes, or 74.4 percent — only Hey, Angulo and Kana have featured more. “It's busy,” he admits. “My days are football, studying and sleeping. That's it. I used to play FIFA sometimes when I had free time, but that's over. I have too much studying to do.”
Surprisingly, his football hasn't suffered. The home-grown talent has become a key player at a young age. His market value was recently raised from 7 to 17 million euros by Transfermarkt, making him the fastest riser in the league. “I try not to think too much about pressure. Matches come so quickly. I also avoid reading too much about myself. I'm managing to stay calm. Honestly, I'm less stressed than before, when I wasn't sure of my starting place.”
Big clubs, big dreams
His performances haven't gone unnoticed abroad either: big clubs like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are monitoring his progress. Anderlecht hopes to extend his contract until 2028, but what if a huge offer already arrives in January? “I have no intention of leaving this winter. My parents deal with everything regarding contracts and interested clubs; they keep me far from that. I don't have a detailed career plan about where I should be in one or five years. My only goal is to improve every day and raise the bar. My role models are Declan Rice and Rodri. To reach that level, you have to work incredibly hard.”
Tomorrow, Anderlecht face second-placed Sint-Truiden. De Cat scored his only goal so far in the reverse fixture at Stayen, the moment he was first seriously mentioned as a future Red Devil. “The Belgian national team? The World Cup in June? Of course that's a dream. I wouldn't say no. But it's not on my list of objectives. The midfield competition is massive. It's still a long road, but I hope to be an international one day.”
First, though, he needs to get through his school exams and secure that secondary school diploma.
Source: © Internal source
