It may be hard for fans to admit, but Belgium’s golden generation is over. They had a good run, third place in the 2018 World Cup is a proud moment, but now it’s time to let the kids take it from here.

By Alex Roberts

Belgium is filled with some of the best academies in Europe. Club Brugge, Genk, and of course, Anderlecht, have all produced players that changed the game, and they aren’t showing signs of letting up any time soon.

These clubs have always been sure to have a clear pathway for exceptional talents, Anderlecht’s Nathan De Cat is the latest, and arguably the most impressive in years, to take advantage of that opportunity.

His club may no longer be the dominant force in Belgian football, but De Cat is certainly a dominant force on the pitch, despite being only 17 years old, establishing himself as one of the first names on Jérémy Taravel’s team sheet.

De Cat has played most of his incredibly short career as a defensive midfielder. He’s not a Sergio Busquets, constantly scanning, playing short one-touch passes, nor is he an N’Golo Kante, relying on remarkable game reading to intercept and cover every blade of grass.

He’s strong standing at a healthy 6’4”, hard to dispossess and beat in duels, on the ground or the air, making him a calming presence for teammates, using subtle body movements and sharp turns to get out of trouble.

We hate to say ‘he’s mature for his age’, but he is. De Cat has a varied passing range, he doesn’t want to play side and backwards passes, he wants to take risks, playing balls over the top and diagonally creating space for teammates.

Of course, he’s not the complete package. De Cat’s progressive dribbling leaves a lot to be desired; he’s only completed 11 so far this season at a success rate of 39.3%. In his defence, not many sides want their defensive midfielders to be running about too much.

He the metronome, an anchor, building a foundation that allows Anderlecht’s more expressive players to do their thing. Well, up until recently anyway, in recent weeks, he’s been handed a slightly different role.

See, it’s been a weird season for Anderlecht. They started 2025/26 with Besnik Hasi in charge, but he was given his marching orders in February, ending his 11-month tenure. They collected just five points from their final seven league games together, and after a couple of ‘crisis meetings’ the call was made.

Edward Still, brother of former Southampton boss Will, was then handed the job on an interim basis. He lost his single game in charge, a 1-0 defeat to Royal Antwerp in the Cup semi-final before leaving and becoming the latest in a long, long line of Watford mangers.

Taravel was handed his first managerial job shortly after, despite not possessing a UEFA Pro Licence, which is a requirement for head coaches in Belgium. It’s been a point of contention. 

Anderlecht were originally told they must hire a manager with the qualification before April 10^th, but it has since been reported he will be able to remain in the position for the rest of the season.

Anyway, no more admin. Taravel has had five games in charge, and it’s coincided with De Cat’s best form in front of goal for Anderlecht, with two goals and four assists in that time as his new manager plays him higher up the pitch.

In their 4-0 win over Royal Antwerp in the second leg of their Cup semi-final, De Cat played out on the left wing. The out of the box decision paid off after just 52 seconds when his absolutely exquisite cross landed directly on the head of Nathan Saliba.

De Cat was a constant threat; Royal Antwerp’s defenders simply didn’t know how to handle his physicality out wide. He ended up getting his goal just before the break, a half volley from just outside the box. In all honesty, the ‘keeper could have probably done better.

He was placed back into central midfield for the next games against RAAL La Louviere and Zulte Waregem but still spent a lot of his time out on the left, particularly in the latter, when he managed to provide two more assists.

His first came from his incredible ability to read the game, reaching it just before the opposition defender and threading Thorgan Hazard through. Hazard still had plenty to do, but his low drive was just about enough to beat Brent Gabriel in goal.

De Cat’s physicality created his second assist. We really shouldn’t forget just how big he is, and again, using his strength this time, he just about beat his challenger to the ball inside the box passing it to Hazard, who bagged his second of the night.

Clearly keen to have De Cat affecting the game a little further up the pitch, Taravel has played De Cat in the number ten over his last two games, and it’s paying off. The youngster opened the scoring in their 2-2 draw against rivals Club Brugge.

It simply wasn’t the type of finish you’d expect from a defensive midfielder. De Cat was instinctive, passing the ball into the back of the net without even taking a touch to set himself. It was confident, clinical, and intentional.

A lot of it could simply be down to the fact that he’s a bit of an unknown quantity in the final third. Opposition defenders just aren’t used to having to deal with a playmaker of his size and stature. Either way, De Cat’s game is evolving and he’s making himself an even more enticing prospect to Europe’s elite.

It’s looking increasingly likely that they’ll come sniffing in the summer. Bayern Munich have been linked as they look for a successor to Leon Goretzka, while rivals Borussia Dortmund are also said to be keen.

Of course, Premier League sides will come sniffing, but he’s still so young, remaining in Belgium for the next couple of years may be the best course of action. The country that has produced some of the best players we’ve seen over the past ten years may well have done it again.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Belgian football on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, xG, and player ratings, where available. Download the free app here.