Future Star Spotlight: Belgian sensation Doku is one of the most exciting teenagers in the game
Gregory Caltabanis
3 Yrs Ago
When England takes on Belgium in Nations League action on Sunday, there will be several superstars on display, but one of the newer faces that could be in the mix is a youngster with the quality to eventually make his way onto the marquee.
Belgium national team newcomer Jeremy Doku is one of the most exciting young players in Europe, and between Sunday’s Nations League clash, and the November Champions League clashes between Chelsea and Doku’s new team, Stade Rennes, Doku should have an excellent chance to announce himself to the world.
Rennes is set to make its Champions League debut in two weeks' time and has demonstrated they are not entering Europe’s elite competition solely to make up the numbers. The French outfit has been extremely active in this transfer window, spending over 70 million euros on its summer acquisitions. Several new faces have joined Julien Stéphan’s men, but it is Doku, that will steal all the headlines.
An explosive winger by nature, Doku has since emerged as one of Europe’s most intriguing young talents. The 18-year-old most recently scored on his first start with the Belgian national team in a 5-1 win over Iceland and has regularly demonstrated he is ready to take the next step.
The Belgian international initially started his career in his home city of Antwerp and made the move to Anderlecht at the age of 10. Doku had an immediate impact in Brussels, debuting for the first team just six years later. In many ways, the young winger is the next budding star to come out of Anderlecht’s production line, following in the steps of Romelu Lukaku, Vincent Kompany, and Youri Tielemans among others.
His good form quickly caught the eye of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who invited Doku to Melwood. The veteran German tactician was keen on bringing the winger to Anfield, but the move never materialized. Anderlecht reportedly convinced the young winger, who was 16 at the time, that it was too early to take the leap to a big club.
“Klopp explained how he saw a potential successor to Sadio Mane in Jeremy,” said David Doku, his father. “Steven Gerrard showed us videos with tactical analysis. At the training complex Simon Mignolet, Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum came to talk to us.”
Doku’s decision to remain in Belgium proved to be the right one, as the winger kicked into another gear the following season. The 18-year-old established himself as a starter under Kompany and took the Jupiler Pro League by storm, making 21 appearances.
Doku is always looking to take on his man, tormenting defenses in the early goings of this season. In fact, no player in Belgium is currently averaging more than his 3.6 successful dribbles per game. Capable of playing either wing, Doku has proven to be a handful in the final third and is constantly looking to progress the ball forward. It comes as no surprise that Klopp identified him as a natural fit for his Liverpool side.
The 18-year-old dazzles the opposition with the ball at his feet and often turns to his incredible change of pace to beat his marker. Doku continued his impressive run before making the move to Rennes, already netting two goals and four assists in seven starts this season. The young winger will be eager to translate his goalscoring exploits to France, hoping to deliver on his promise.
Rennes wasted no time replacing the departed Raphinha, securing Doku for a record 26 million euros. The French outfit represents a perfect stepping stone for Doku to continue his development in a low-pressure environment and take his game to the next level. Rennes has a long history of producing talented stars, including the likes of Ousmane Dembélé, Tiémoué Bakayoko, and most recently Eduardo Camavinga.
Doku will be raring to go ahead of his Champions League debut later this month when Rennes host Russian side Krasnodar in their tournament opener. Sevilla and Chelsea may be entering Group E as favorites, but with Doku leading their front line, Stéphan’s men might just steal the show.