YOUTH Nathan De Cat is number one in the new edition of Het Nieuwsblad's Talent Top 50. Anderlecht is well represented with seven players, but it cannot match Club Brugge (eleven) and Racing Genk (nine). Notable: 14?year?old Cresus Kana makes a debut in the list and immediately lands at number 17. For several years Het Nieuwsblad has listed the fifty most promising Belgian youth players in the Talent Top 50.
It is compiled by an anonymous jury of experts, including (inter)national youth scouts and coaches. Only players born between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2011 are eligible, and they must not already have chosen to play for another country's national team. Club Brugge is the best represented overall, although seven of their eleven players are ranked between 31 and 50. In the top 30 Anderlecht and Genk do best with six players each; Club Brugge has four there.
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Continue reading Last year Anderlecht also had six players in the list.
Anderlecht's players in the list and Het Nieuwsblad's notes on them
1. Nathan De Cat: “Experienced his personal breakthrough season in a very mediocre Anderlecht. At seventeen he is indisputably the defining figure at the Purple Whites. He was already compared to Declan Rice last year, and that comparison wasn't far off. He can play anywhere in midfield and, despite his youth, shows a lot of class. He looks set to take a step up this summer.” (last year: 4)
15. Joshua Nga Kana: “Not related to the Kana brothers. Until recently he was mainly known as Joshua Bethume. He made his Anderlecht debut in the play?offs. He has a good dribble and is difficult to dispossess. The plan is for him to break through fully next season. He is currently competing at the U17 European Championship.” (last year: 32)
17. Cresus Kana: “The youngest player in this Talent Top 50. He is the younger brother of Marco Kana; brother Thomas Joël also plays for the Futures. Cresus-Owen is regarded as the biggest talent of the three. At almost every youth tournament the attacking midfielder is chosen as best player. At thirteen he was already captain of the U16s. He dreams of Real Madrid.” (last year: not in the list)
23. Jayden Onia Seke: “A quick, skillful winger who stands strongly on his legs. Although right?footed, he is often used on the left. At 15 years, 3 months and 8 days he became the youngest debutant ever in our football. He now trains with Anderlecht's first team and is currently at the U17 European Championship. His mother is Flemish and his father is of Congolese origin.” (last year: 24)
26. Alexander De Ridder: “A box?to?box midfielder who made his first?team debut on the final matchday. Strong in recovery, with a powerful shot, he is also technically skilled and explosive. Born in Kyiv to a Ukrainian mother, he was plucked by Anderlecht from AA Gent at the age of nine. He was a regular for the Futures in the Challenger Pro League last season.” (last year: not in the list)
28. Adjani Mujangi Bia: “Since last Sunday the third?youngest debutant ever in our competition. He clearly has the right genes—he is the son of Geoffrey Mujangi Bia—but Adjani is more of a defensively minded midfielder who can also play centrally at the back. He is always very accurate in his passing and moves well into space. He uses his body well, making him hard to dispossess. His brother also plays in Anderlecht's youth teams.” (last year: 46)
39. Mattis Seghers: “A goalkeeper with all the qualities a modern keeper needs. ‘He has the body of Manuel Neuer and the feet of Bart Verbruggen,' the whisper goes. ‘He has good feet and good reflexes and he's broad and tall,' says Silvio Proto. He already joined the Purple?Whites on their winter training camp. The plan is for him to be the Futures' first goalkeeper next year and eventually take over from Colin Coosemans. He is also active at the U17 European Championship.” (last year: new in the list)
