On August 31st, Anderlecht signed Leander Dendoncker from Aston Villa on a loan deal with an option to buy.
Two days later, Het Belang van Limburg stated Anderlecht chairman Wouter Vandenhaute had called the Belgian club’s former press secretary, David Steegen, to sign the midfielder.
Steegen is the Aston Villa player’s father-in-law, and it was reported he and his daughter Anna were key in the 29-year-old’s move to Anderlecht.
La Dernière Heure had a detailed chat with David Steegen and he was asked about the call he received from Vandenhaute.
The Aston Villa man was at the Jupiler Pro League side for a decade, before leaving them for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2019. Prior to him returning to the Belgian club, Las Palmas showed keen interest in signing him on a loan deal.
Steegen now claims he had no influence on the Belgium international’s summer decision, despite earlier claims stating otherwise.
“I told him [Vandenhaute] I wasn’t going to get involved in Leander’s choice. If he had preferred to go to Las Palmas, I would have been just as happy for them. He chose Anderlecht, a great club where he has a lot of chances to play,” he said.
“The pressure of having to succeed? After five and a half years in the Premier League, we know what pressure is. At the family level, it’s obviously much easier. They live with us for a few more days and then move to Uccle, where they found something.
“When Leander’s flirtation with Anderlecht came out in the media, I received messages from Gillet and Proto but also from dozens and dozens of supporters. It makes them happy to see a member of the last champion team return.”
The Aston Villa man’s father-in-law has admitted he had a nightmare about the player joining Anderlecht’s league rivals, Club Brugge.
“I’m going to make a confession to you. A few days before Leander’s first contacts with Anderlecht, I had a nightmare. I was in the car with him and suddenly he said to me: ‘Sorry, David, but I’m going to sign for Club Brugge’. While I was sleeping, I was wondering what I was going to dress up as to go see him play in Bruges,” Steegen explained.
Dendoncker played the full 90 minutes in Anderlecht’s 2-2 draw against KVC Westerlo at the weekend.
