It started with a Philippe Albert chip that had St James’ Park gasping for air, through a Golden Generation of talent who could, and should, have won so much more, to the now plentiful current stars plying their trade up and down the Premier League lands.
For a country not much greater in population than Greater London, little Belgium has had an almighty impact on the all-conquering behemoth the Premier League has become.
Some of the most successful Belgians to grace our shores have been central defenders.
Vincent Kompany has a statue outside the Etihad Stadium. There was a time when Tottenham’s central defensive partnership, in the peak Mauricio Pochettino years, was 100 per cent Flemish in Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. All long after Albert helped form one of the most entertaining sides in recent memory.
While Belgium’s best-ever team have either hung up their boots or are close to doing so, attention is turning to the next generation of talent, with Premier League clubs still keen to do their shopping at the same store.
One versatile young defender has already caught the eye of West Ham, Leeds and Wolves. And for good reason.
“All my life I have been told I play like Vincent Kompany,” Koni De Winter tells The i Paper from his current club Genoa’s training base.
“I have this ability to make runs with the ball like he did, I have the same technical side.
“It’s a really big name, so I one day hope to be able to live up to him. You look at the other big names (former Belgian Premier League defenders) and it is only right that they ended playing up in the best competitions.”
With so many fellow countrymen on TV from Premier League grounds, especially those who also have African decent as many big-name Belgium internationals possess, it was impossible for a young De Winter to sit back at home and not pick a side.
Didier Drogba and Jose Mourinho’s title-winning Chelsea side got the vote, but another Premier League icon is currently shaping De Winter the footballer in Genoa.
“I like so much the way he is close to all the players,” De Winter says of Patrick Vieira, who succeeded Alberto Gilardino as Genoa boss in November, 18 months after his disappointing spell in charge of Crystal Palace.
“I just like the bond we have. I can tell him everything, he can tell me everything, there’s no hesitation to talk about stuff.
“He has a kind of international style of play, so that has helped me develop as a player.”
After spending his formative years back in Belgium, De Winter was snapped up by Juventus and quickly fast-tracked to the first team, becoming the club’s youngest-ever Champions League starter in late 2021.
The 22-year-old found first-team football hard to come by in Turin, so he made the switch to Genoa, where his stock continues to grow.
Genoa are an interesting project amid a real drive to expand their reach, with WWE’s The Undertaker and singer Rita Ora tasked with modelling the club’s recent kits.
For now, De Winter is happy where he is, playing regularly in a team on the up. But it is not only the Belgium connection that hints at where his next move will be.
Riccardo Calafiori, Cristian Romero, Djed Spence and Radu Dragusin all spent time at Genoa before earning a move here. De Winter may not be far behind.
“Italy for me was a big change because the football they play here is a lot different from where I grew up in Belgium,” he adds. “I think I’m also lucky that I came when I was young, so I got used to it and then when you get older you get comfortable playing this style.
“I just want to come as far as possible. It’s not that I say I have to play Premier League or I have to play Bundesliga, I just want the best, the best for myself.
“The Premier League is one of the best competitions in the world, so yes, I hear some nice things.”
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