Southampton midfielder Roméo Lavia has been backed to take his chance with the Belgian national side, with Domenico Tedesco in search of the replacement for Axel Witsel.
Het Laatste Nieuws cover the player today as the Belgians gear up for life under Tedesco, who was named as Roberto Martinez’s replacement after the failure at the World Cup.
Lavia is set to be a big part of that, it seems, after impressing with Southampton this season following a move from Manchester City in the summer.
Since then he’s been a key player for the Saints and shone despite their struggles this season at the wrong end of the Premier League table.
That has not gone unnoticed and he has already been linked with a big move away in the summer as a result.
For now, it is all about developing his game further and perhaps earning his place in Tedesco’s new look Belgian side.
One man who is certain that will happen is his personal coach Ronald Kabeya, who knows the Southampton man well who has praised the player to the newspaper.
“He started individual training at 13 – on the same day as Johan Bakayoko,” he explains.
“It gives them an ‘edge’, an advantage over their peers. Injury prevention, working on explosiveness… Roméo gave a mature impression even then.
“Focused and ready to work hard every day. You know: I am very involved with the players I coach. I watch all their matches, give them feedback. Roméo is also someone who questions everything.
“What can be improved?” is his mindset. He works on the details, wants to make a difference in that.
“He has all the talent to become a global star. Roméo has vista, has technique, pays attention to his nutrition and takes enough rest. Everything he tries to optimise.”
That’s backed up by former Anderlecht attacked Oleg Iachtchouk, who was his coach at the Belgian’s side’s U13 level.
“He was always willing to listen. When they are 11, 12 years old, little players already like to test the limits sometimes. Roméo didn’t. Early on, he was solely concerned with football,” he added.
Now it appears he will be given his chance to impress on the international stage, with HLN stating that it would not be a surprise if he is in the starting 11 against Sweden on Friday night as ‘his time is now’.
