Youri Tielemans
Aston Villa star Youri Tielemans may have only just returned from injury, but he’s still linked up with Belgium’s squad this week, and his agent says there’s a very simple reason why.
Tielemans’ agent, Bob Claes, has been speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws about the Aston Villa midfielder and how his commitment to Belgium goes far beyond just appearing on the pitch.
Agent pride in Aston Villa star
The Aston Villa man is currently Belgium’s permanent captain and that, according to Claes, makes reporting for a duty a point of pride.
“There are people who don’t need the captain’s armband to be a leader, and there are others who have the armband but never will be one,” he said.
“Youri belongs to the first category. Being allowed to wear that armband is a source of immense pride for Youri. He takes that role very seriously.”
According to Claes, there is also Tielemans popularity in the squad to consider. As far as he’s concerned, the 28-year-old is admired for more than just his footballing ability.
“Because the person behind the footballer is very well-raised,” he added.
“Youri sets the bar high. In terms of standards and values. In terms of work ethic. And in terms of intelligence. A dream to work with. Youri constantly seeks improvements but is also open to dialogue.”
Belgium chances
The question is whether Belgium decide to risk Youri Tielemans following his latest injury layoff. Aston Villa would, presumably, prefer that they don’t.
They’ll want the midfielder fit and firing for the run-in. With Belgium already qualified for the World Cup, it’s unlikely they’ll see the need to risk the midfielder at this stage.
There has, though, been positivity around the injury, with Amadou Onana recently admitting he was confident of a return for his teammate.
“I’m not a doctor, but his rehabilitation is going very well. We miss him on the pitch. I hope he recovers very quickly and that we’ll see him again very soon,” he said.
Even if he doesn’t feature in this international break, it seems his presence is important. In fact, if his agents comments are anything to go by, it’s central to any kind of success Belgium will have.