With only three appearances for Aston Villa, Belgian defender Björn Engels is already calling some attention from his home country.
The 24-year-old, who has joined the Premier League side on a €8m move from Reins this summer, is now being considered for the national team, according to the local press.
Outlet HLN first brings some quotes from the Red Devils manager Roberto Martinez, who’s claimed that ‘there will be one new face’ in the next squad.
Then Martinez has claimed that Engels’ start in the Premier League was ‘impressive’, and that was enough for the Belgian media to start speculating he ‘seems to be the favourite’ to be the ‘new face’ instead of the other two names mentioned: Dodi Lukebakio and Sebastian Bornauw.
Engels has been called up for Belgium once in 2016, for a friendly against Portugal, but wasn’t given the chance to make his debut at the time.
Roberto Martinez has also spoken about Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vergonghen.
He claims that the fact that the player hasn’t been getting many minutes for the Spurs shouldn’t be a problem: “Because Jan has been a certainty for years on end. Even with us. That is why we should not panic. Even if Jan isn’t playing, he is a serious candidate for an Euro squad”.
