Nathan De Cat: Anderlecht talent too important for U17 World Cup – Wanted by top clubs

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When you are too important for the first team coach to participate in the U17 World Cup, then that says quite a bit about your talent, especially when you are already linked to many top clubs. Despite the hype, Nathan De Cat has stayed with both feet on the ground and, to this day, still plays football with his friends in the family garden. “I try to enjoy everything that is happening, but it is all going so fast,” the 17-year-old said in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad.

His down-to-earthness aside, De Cat also impresses with his willingness to fight since birth. The Belgian was born prematurely, two months early. Today, at 192cm, he towers over his parents and siblings and is a key player in midfield. The parents play an important role in his development. His father, Jens, played at a high amateur level. “Nathan stood out because he could run forever,” former youth coach Willem Timmermans said to Het Nieuwsblad. “His father, Jens, told me once that Nathan asked him to drop him off a block away from home to be able to run the rest of the way.” From KV Mechelen, he headed to Act2Prevent Voetbalschool, then to the academy of record champions, RSC Anderlecht. His former coach never had any doubts that De Cat would stand out at Anderlecht.

“Thanks to his parents, his mentality is outstanding,” Timmermans said. “Many believe their son is the new Cristiano Ronaldo, but they are super nice people who always remain calm and don’t want to force anything. Jens understands the football business because he made it all the way up to the fourth division, even if Nathan has already surpassed him in all areas.” De Cat has quickly become the biggest talent in Belgium, even if he has to endure childish comments from opponents about having to wear braces; so far, he has repaid them on the pitch.

The kitten is on the rise at RSC Anderlecht

At 15 years and six months, De Cat made his debut for Anderlecht’s reserve side in the second division, which made him the fourth youngest player of the Challenger Pro League. “From the first minute Nathan was on the pitch, I thought that he was special,” his former coach Marink Reedijk said. “Back then, he was still very thin. He grew so fast that it hurt his agility. It looked a bit clumsy. But what a player! And so brave! I called him Catje, a real rascal, but in a good way. He loves to pay, who isn’t afraid to say what he thinks.” The nickname Catje, which stems from the Dutch word Katje or kitten, is a good fit and describes him well as a footballer.

After his first start, he quickly established himself in the reserves and would soon captain the team. And, after just one year, he made his debut in the Europa League for the first team. Eight minutes before the end of the match, De Cat was brought up in the return match against Fenerbahçe (2-2). That made him the third youngest Belgian in the competition. A few more appearances and a goal off the bench followed in the playoffs of the Jupiler Pro League. This season, De Cat has become an important player in Besnik Hasi’s squad. There was also a funny episode. On matchday 8 this season against Royal Antwerp (0-0), a black cat ran onto the field, prompting the television cameras to focus on De Cat, and the commentators called it a family get-together.

“De Cat is a box-to-box player, but can also play as a defensive midfielder,” Transfermarkt Area Manager Belgium Bart Tamsyn said. “Towards the end of last season, he was also tested as a playmaker on the second team. His biggest strengths are his vision, the ability to play key passes that can unlock defensive lines, and a strong right foot. Anderlecht have relied on him to be involved in goals.” Despite all the praise, the talent also still has a few areas to work on.

“The areas he needs to work on are his physicality,” Tamsyn said. “He is only 17, and his body is still developing, and he needs to add muscle to get involved in one-on-one situations. Also, he needs to use his height better in aerial duels.” De Cat agrees. “As a midfielder, it is my job to go hard into tackles,” De Cat said. “If I don’t do it, I will be surpassed on this level. Also, I am not the fastest, and I can be a bit more aggressive. There is always something to improve. Sometimes I look a bit clumsy but I have a good technique.”

De Cat relaxed about the hype – Obstacles in daily life

De Cat has handled the hype well. “I remain calm, and my parents are people who don’t care what is said in public,” De Cat said. “I set high standards for myself. When I made my debut for the first team, I set myself a new goal: becoming a regular starter. People in my environment told me to remain calm and not to ask too much of myself. But age plays no role in modern football. When you have potential and hunger, you can keep up.”

There are some obstacles, however. De Cat often misses school. “And when I go, I am often behind compared to my schoolmates,” De Cat said. “My goal is to finish secondary school. I am given many tasks to replace courses and tests. I have someone at Anderlecht who helps me. But if I can’t finish school this year, I will just have to do it next year.” Another obstacle has been getting his driving licence. “I have to ask my parents or grandparents to drive me to Anderlecht.”

Also, not everything has gone smoothly this season. In the Europa League qualification against BK Häcken (3-6 on pens), De Cat caused a penalty in the dying moments of the game, and Anderlecht would eventually be eliminated. “If I don’t make that mistake, then we would have qualified for the next round,” De Cat said. “I was devastated about it. But the coach, my teammates, my family, and my girlfriend supported me. More experienced players like Thorgan Hazard and Colin Coosemans approached me right away to talk. It helped me to sleep afterwards.”

With that support, De Cat’s rise continued despite the setback. With the midfielder becoming an important part of Anderlecht’s first team, the club had to make a difficult decision about the U17 World Cup. Ultimately, the club decided not to allow De Cat to play in the full tournament. “I won’t make any further comments about it,” Hasi said. “Thankfully, it has no impact on Nathan. I count on him in every game. He has been in top form for a few weeks now.” A compromise was reached that allowed De Cat to join the U17 during the international break with the condition that he had to return ahead of the quarterfinals. But Belgium was eliminated in the round of 16. “Nathan was disappointed,” Hasi said. “We gave him a few days off after he returned. That helped him to clear his head and recover. That was necessary.”

Top clubs want De Cat – Kompany link helpful?

Even though De Cat couldn’t use the tournament to advertise himself, the European top clubs are already showing interest. Reports out of Germany have linked him to Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayer Leverkusen. Premier League side Aston Villa has been named by the British press as a potential landing spot. Signing the midfielder won’t be cheap, however. According to Sky, Anderlecht want in the region of €25m for the midfielder. But while English clubs are interested, there is one reason why De Cat could be headed to Germany.

His girlfriend, Sarah Duranville, the younger sister of Dortmund talent Julien, already plays in Germany for fourth division side DJK TuSA 06 Düsseldorf. “Sarah used to play for Anderlecht,” De Cat said. “It wasn’t love at first sight, but Sarah made the initial move. She is very important to me, especially in difficult moments like after the Häcken game. She often makes fun of me for not scoring enough goals. She is a playmaker who scores regularly. When I have time, I go watch her play. That’s been rare lately. She still lives in Dortmund, where Julien plays.” That could theoretically help Dortmund. But it doesn’t guarantee it.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany not only played for Anderlecht but also coached the Belgian record champions. “We have certainly talked about clubs and players, but not necessarily our players,” Hasi said about a recent meeting with his former teammate. “He doesn’t need me for that; he has a good eye for talent.” Overall, the club isn’t too concerned about De Cat’s future. “I don’t speak with my players about transfers. I tell them to focus on football. When you are 17, and you play at this level, it is normal to talk about crazy transfer fees. Thankfully, he is in a good environment, surrounded by a good family.”

Represented by Stirr Associates, De Cat doesn’t want to look too far into the future. “My career plan is to be back on the pitch tomorrow,” De Cat said. “That’s everything. My favourite club is Barcelona, but I am not too preoccupied with clubs that want me or even the national team. I just want to play football. The rest I am not too bothered about.” In his free time, he doesn’t watch much football; instead, he visits his girlfriend or goes to the fairs. Occasionally, he watches a Dortmund game when his buddy Duranville is playing or at amateur games of his friends. “I often wear a hoodie to hide,” De Cat said. “Still, I get more often now, but it doesn’t bother me to fulfil selfie requests.”

From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2008 and 2009. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.