Celtic defender Dedryck Boyata’s father has seen his son and other Belgian players struggle after moving to England at a young age.
He has now urged parents of young Belgian players to be cautious while deciding the future and suggested Charly Musonda should have taken his son’s and countless other young players as an example to decide against joining Chelsea.
“Charly should have learned from the mistakes others had already made. My advice to parents of young, talented footballers is: you better take your time to grow in Belgium, as Youri Tielemans or Dennis Praet have done,” he told Belgian newspaper De Standaard.
When Musonda came up through the ranks of Anderlecht, football experts claimed he was the greatest Belgian football talent ever’ (in 2012), according to the report. However, the lure of joining Chelsea was too tempting, which is why he joined the Blues in 2012.
Boyata’s loan moves didn’t improve his chances of making it at City and he made a switch to Celtic in 2015, which is where he’s played regular football and established himself.
The 27-year-old’s form for Brendan Rodgers’ side saw Roberto Martinez include him in Belgium’s World Cup squad, where he played the first three matches of the tournament. 
Musonda may also take his compatriot’s example and leave the English club. Having spent a short time with the Hoops on loan earlier this year, a permanent switch to Celtic could help him revive his career, if Rodgers would have him back.
