Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen had managers and coaches ‘full of praise’ when the was a youngster at Anderlecht, so it’s no surprise he’s now shining in the Premier League.
That’s according to his former coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar, who has insisted he cannot be given credit for the youngster’s rapid rise.
Verbruggen is currently shining for Brighton and the Netherlands, after joining the Seagulls in a €20m deal from Anderlecht in the summer.
He had been with the Belgian side for three years after joining them in 2020 but really came to the fore last season, establishing himself as the number one midway through the campaign with a series of impressive performances.
He finished the campaign with just 45 goals conceded in 45 games in all competitions and 13 clean sheets, enough to convince Brighton to spend big to bring him to the Premier League.
He’s since been battling with Jason Steele for the number one spot but has earned praise for his displays and a subsequent call-up to the Netherlands squad, where he now appears to have won the battle to be number one under Ronald Koeman.
It’s been a rapid rise for the 21-year-old, who appears to have a bright future ahead of him, something Rouwelaar and several other coaches saw from an early age.
“Craig Bellamy was coaching Anderlecht’s U23s and I remember that he saw him play, then came up to me and said: ‘Wow! This one is really good’. He was full of praise, just like Vincent Kompany,” he told Algemeen Dagblad, relayed by Walfoot.
“Shortly afterwards, Bart joined the senior team due to injuries. And now he’s number 1 in the Netherlands.
“But I didn’t discover him on my own. Bart grew up on his own, so I shouldn’t exaggerate my role.”
