Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans replaces Kevin De Bruyne as captain of the Belgian national team | OneFootball

The Belgian Red Devils have a new captain. Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans was confirmed as the new permanent captain of Rudi Garcia’s side in a press conference held today. Tielemans replaces Napoli midfielder Kevin de Bruyne as captain of the Belgian national team as they look to qualify for the World Cup in America next summer.

Speaking to the press ahead of the game against Liechtenstein, Tielemans said; ‘When I can talk to the players, organize the team, and lead the youngsters, I feel good. It’s part of me; I love talking. I always try to take responsibility’. This isn’t the first time that the former Anderlecht and Leicester man has taken the armband for the Red Devils. Back in 2022 Roberto Martinez handed Tielemans the armband in a friendly against Ireland.

There were other candidates, such as Romelu Lukaku, Thomas Meunier and Thibaut Courtois. Even de Bruyne was by no means certain to lose the armband. However, Garcia was keen to point out that the influence of these players will not be diminished. The head coach said that he saw them as a ‘council of leaders’ that would still be able to help guide the side towards World Cup qualification.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson