The current Belgium squad certainly deserves the moniker of a “golden generation”. On course to qualify for the World Cup (or at least reach a playoff place), they have a huge number of star players that are born within five years of each other.
At the more experienced end of the scale you will find the 27-year-olds Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen, followed by the likes of Eden Hazard and Christian Benteke (both 22) and Moussa Dembele, Marouane Fellaini and Jan Vertonghen (all 25). That also ignores the midfield talents of Alex Witsel and Steven Defour.
Belgium has received praise for producing this outstanding generation of talent, particularly in a country that has a population of just 11 million.
But scratch below the surface and you will see that a significant number of key players were actually developed in foreign youth academies – a situation not too dissimilar to Ireland’s traditional approach (although the Boys in Green will find it harder to do this in the future).
Five members of Belgium’s squad for the recent World Cup qualifier against Macedonia have never played football in the Belgian league – and they are the key members of the golden generation.
Joined by his three younger brothers, Eden Hazard left Belgium for France in 2005 aged just 14.
Although gifted as a child, Hazard’s father (an ex-footballer) decided that his son would benefit from the better facilities in neighbouring France which led the young Hazard to sign for the academy of Ligue 1 side Lille.
After two years in the youth ranks, he would make his debut for the northern French club, quickly becoming Belgium’s most promising young player.
Ajax
Even though he did continue to represent Belgium’s national team at every level from U15s, one can only guess whether he would have developed as effectively in a Belgian youth academy.
Belgium and Manchester City’s captain and defensive lynchpin Vincent Kompany may have been developed at Belgium’s most famous club Anderlecht but most of his defensive partners at national team level were produced in neighbouring Netherlands – specifically Ajax Amsterdam.
Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen, Toby Alderweireld and Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen all left their home country for Ajax’ renowned youth academy at 15 – 16 in the early to mid-2000s.
Like Hazard, they also continued to represent Belgium at youth level but for the most part the key period of their development took place in the Netherlands.
All three are ball-playing centre-halves, something that could only have been honed in such large quantities at a club like Ajax rather than in Belgium.
Winger Nacer Chadli also spent part of his youth development in the Netherlands, specifically for MVV Maastricht and AGOVV Apeldoorn and has since remained in the Eredivisie, playing for FC Twente.
Attacking midfielder Radja Naingollan may not have been called up for the recent qualifier but he was developed in Italy and has been linked with a number of Serie A’s top clubs.
Between them the six players have collected 150 caps. And although the fans could not give a toss after a decade in the international doldrums, but it possibly takes the sheen of slightly for the Belgian FA and the country’s youth academies.
