Defour, Belçika'nın en iyi futbolcusu seçildi
Belçika Birinci Futbol Ligi takımlarından Standard Liege'nin 19 yaşındaki forvet oyuncusu Steven Defour, Belçika'da "54. Altın Ayakkabı ve Yılın Futbolcusu" ödülünün sahibi oldu.
Oylama sonucunda Defour 312 puanla birinci olurken, Anderlecht'te oynayan Ahmed Hassan 206 puanla ikinci, 94 puan alan Cercle Brugge'ün oyuncusu Tom de Sutter ise üçüncü sırada yer aldı.
Transfer saga
The diminutive playmaker had just had a superb season for KRC Genk, and AFC Ajax were keen to sign the young star. Genk set their asking price too high, but there were suggestions that Ajax would exploit a Belgian law whereby a professional sportsman is allowed to terminate his contract and buy it off according to how many months of salary he would have expected to receive during the remainder of his deal. The transfer to Ajax did not happen, but R. Standard de Liège snapped up the talented youngster. The commotion even lead to Genk chairman Jos Vaessen stepping down. A lot of responsibility for such a young player, but one who has proved particularly self-assured.
After playing youth football at Hombeek and KV Mechelen, Defour had been with Genk since 2002. His first-team debut was as a substitute in the 2004/05 season but his big breakthrough came the next season, when the 17-year-old showed himself a player able to deploy his skills in the interest of the whole team, creating opening with his astute passing. Now Defour is on a five-year contract at Standard, learning from Portuguese star Sérgio Conceição and Milan Rapaić in the 2006/07 season. For the 2007/8 season, despite being only 20 years old, the right-sided Belgian international is now Standard's captain.
Defour said: "At Genk things became too easy for me. At Standard I may not play in every match at this stage, but I would rather have 20 good matches and start on the bench 14 times, then play 34 moderate matches. Even in training I have become a better player by working with players like Conceição and Rapaić. They give me advice, but also listens to me. I already have criticised Conceição. Sérgio accepts my criticism as he realises I am a good player."
Since making his international debut for Belgium against Saudi Arabia on 11 May 2006 he also has become a regular choice for national coach René Vandereycken. Defour is now established as the new Belgian golden boy after Vincent Kompany, and with his burst of pace, vision, passing and little shimmies, he could be that nation's main playmaker for a decade to come.
Steven Defour
Personal information
Full name: Steven Defour
Date of birth April 15, 1988 (1988-04-15) (age 19)
Place of birth Mechelen, Belgium
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Standard Liège
Number 8
Youth clubs
KV Mechelen
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
2004-2006
2006- RC Genk
Standard Liège 30 (1)
60 (7)
National team
2006 - present Belgium 7 (0)
