How the Anderlecht academy helped build Belgium's World Cup squad

Anderlecht products make up 35% of Belgium’s squad and so far they have scored more goals than the Brazil team

By Alex Clapham for Caño Football of the Sport Network

It’s handshakes and cheek-kisses all round as a troop of young men come tearing into the building having returned from their run around the lake in Parc de la Pede. The Under-21 squad jaunt past a mural of a budding Romelu Lukaku and disappear into the gym.

“It was Romelu’s father who pushed us to start collaborations with schools,” says Jean Kindermans, the director of the Anderlecht academy. “At 15, Romelu was becoming famous and there was a lot of interest. His father told me: ‘Lille, Lens, Auxerre and Saint-Étienne are all interested in my son and all of those clubs can provide him with school, accommodation and football education. There’s everything.’ A few months later we started the Purple Talents Project. Now, more than 10 years later, it’s called the Purple Talent Programme – as it’s no longer a project.”

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