Youth coaches recall Jeremy Doku’s time at Anderlecht: “I didn’t think he would play for a big European team” | Premier League

“Jeremy didn’t like to run, he didn’t like to defend, he didn’t like to be in the gym.”

The youth academy did not immediately dare to dream of Jeremy Doku becoming a Premier League sensation.

“Jeremy had a lot of self-belief,” confirms Benoit Hegemann, who coached Doku at Anderlecht’s U13 and U15 levels.

He added, “But at Anderlecht everyone thought he had a lot of areas to work on. His left foot, head strength and positioning all need improvement.”

He added: “Everyone at Anderlecht thought that Jeremy was good and would become a professional footballer for Anderlecht or any other Belgian team.” But not with a big European team like Manchester City or Barcelona,” Hegeman is honest.

The fact that things turned out differently makes the youth coach blush. “We are a little surprised, but above all very proud.”

How is Jeremy Doku still writing a success story?

“It was his greatest quality Dare and repeat“, says Jan Verlinden, who was Doku’s guidance counselor at Anderlecht.

“Even though Doku lost the ball during the play, he will try again the next time. Sometimes it is a huge inconvenience for the coaches and staff.”

But Dooku’s persistence paid off. The lively winger began to make more and more waves at Anderlecht’s youth stadium, keeping 6 men talking with his actions and controlled plays alone.

“Many foreign teams like Liverpool and Chelsea started pulling Doku’s sleeves,” says Verlinden.

But thanks to a video of Romelu Lukaku, Doku has remained loyal to Anderlecht’s youth academy.

“Lukaku filmed a video in which he tried to persuade Jeremy to complete his training at Anderlecht until he made his debut for the first team and obtained his certificate.”

Advice that Doku did not ignore. The striker made his first-team debut in purple and white on 25 November 2018, and after a spell at Rennes, he fulfilled his dream of moving to Manchester City last summer.

In the company of world-class stars such as Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva, Doku impresses almost every weekend.

“Can Doku become the best footballer in the world? And why not? With Jeremy, anything is possible,” Nerbid Youth Academy said.