There is a growing Belgian flavor around England’s Premier League right now, and it isn’t the country’s fine chocolates.
On day one of the new soccer season, Marouane Fellaini, the Everton player distinguishable by his beanpole 1.94-meter, or 6-foot-41/2-inch, physique and his bush of black fuzzy hair, destroyed Manchester United. “Unplayable” was the description used by United’s veteran manager, Alex Ferguson....
We have already seen Eden Hazard, arguably the best of the new breed, take to life at Chelsea as if he had been born to be a star there. Hazard is a playmaker who likes to take a shot at the goal, and he could soon have his choice of Belgian goalkeepers to shoot down in the Premier League.
There is Simon Mignolet, currently the goalie at Sunderland.
Good as he is, Mignolet is not the best of the rising young Belgian keepers. Thibaut Courtois, only 20, joined Chelsea more than a year ago and, because the London team is served well enough by its Czech goalkeeper, Petr Cech, young Courtois has been loaned out to Atlético Madrid ever since....
But there is virtually a complete Belgian national team growing under English ownership, starting with the goalkeepers, Courtois and Mignolet.
The central defenders are Vincent Kompany, who captains the English champion Emirates Marketing Project, and Thomas Vermaelen, captain at Arsenal. The attacking fullback Jan Vertonghen has joined Tottenham Hotspur.
In midfield, Moussa Dembélé, also attack-minded, strong and purposeful, has begun the new season in thrilling form for Fulham.
And going forward, apart from Hazard and the Chelsea loanees Lukaku and De Bruyne, Everton has just purchased Kevin Mirallas to play alongside Fellaini.