When your cousin captains Manchester City and you’re an aspiring goalkeeper, the polite thing to do would be to dream of playing behind him.
However, that isn’t the case for Edmon Kompany, Vincent’s 17-year-old cousin.
The young goalkeeper, currently playing for FC Forest in Belgium’s regional divisions, is trying to make it in the world of football, and has ambitions of playing in the Premier League one day.
He said: “One day, my brother was watching the African Cup of Nations final between the Ivory Coast and Egypt. I saw Didier Drogba on the screen and that’s when it clicked. That’s when I knew I needed to be a footballer.”
With Didier Drogba as an inspiration, Edmond tried out as a striker, but quickly realised he wasn’t good enough, ending up in goal.
From there, he decided to make a career out of it, with his dream destination being Chelsea.
Why? He explained: “The Premier League makes me dream since I was very little. My idol is Petr Cech, and therefore I adore Chelsea. For me, Cech is the reference as a goalkeeper. I was a bit disappointed when Courtois took over, but as long as he keeps playing, I’m happy.”
At only 17 years of age, the youngster has time on his side to have his wishes granted, but if he does make it to the top and a Premier League move beckons, he might have a certain Manchester City captain whispering in his ear that the north of England is a better destination for him.
