Last week, SV Zulte Waregem confirmed the arrival of Leeds United’s Laurens De Bock on a season-long loan deal and they retain an option to make his transfer permanent next summer.
This is the 27-year-old’s fourth loan move in the last two years as the Whites owned player previously had spells at KV Oostende, Sunderland and ADO Den Haag.
A temporary move to Essevee has seen the left-back return to Belgium for the first time since January 2018.
Het Nieuwsblad interviewed the former Club Brugge man and asked if he hesitated for a long time after Zulte Waregem registered their interest in signing him.
Responding to that, he said: “Not at all. I wanted to return to Belgium and when Essevee knocked on the door, I had no doubts.”
“Essevee always gave me the impression of being very warm and a family club, and at the same time, radiated ambition. That was very important to me: I wanted to go to a club where I immediately had a good feeling.”
Leeds signed De Bock in January 2018, six months before Marcelo Bielsa arrived at Elland Road.
The English club’s fortunes changed after the Argentine was appointed as their new manager. They finished third last term and achieved promotion to the Premier League after winning the Championship this season.
Prior to Bielsa’s arrival, Leeds finished 13th in the second division, and De Bock is of the belief he joined his parent club at the wrong time.
“It was not an easy period. I was often abroad and that didn’t turn out to be my thing. I also ended up at Leeds and Sunderland, where the situation was not always stable at that time,” Be Bock explained.
“Anyway, it’s an experience that no one can take away from me. Now it is time to fight back and it must be done at Essevee.”
