Arthur Theate: Belgium full-back who has thrived after nearly quitting game and is on Forest’s radar | OneFootball

At 20, clubless as the pandemic hit, Arthur Theate even considered construction work. Now 26, the Belgium full-back is heading to the World Cup in North America and his form has put him on Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth’s radar after reviving his career with Eintracht Frankfurt.

“I’ve always believed in myself. I was preparing for a life other than football, but I never gave up. During COVID, I used the little money I had saved to pay for a physical trainer and to be ready if an opportunity arose,” he said to Onefootball.com. “Before Ostend, I tried out for a Belgian D2 club and was turned down. Ostend was my last chance because I couldn’t keep failing like that. But I never stopped believing in myself and I knew that one day things could turn around.”

Theate came through at Genk and Standard Liege, left again in 2020 and was close to quitting before a week’s trial at Oostende earned his first deal. He now plays in the Bundesliga for Frankfurt, debuted for Belgium against Wales in November 2021 and has 33 caps.

This summer he might be Frankfurt’s next significant sale, with churn and a Zetterer versus Kaua Santos goalkeeping tussle adding instability.

Amid that, Theate has stood out as a left-footed, versatile defender who steps into wide areas, carries forward and passes cleanly. He has played left of a back three, in a back four for Rennes and at left-back, and his profile recalls Moussa Niakhate.

Source: NY Times