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Leander Dendoncker
Dendoncker with Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Leander Dendoncker[1]
Date of birth (1995-04-15) 15 April 1995 (age 29)[2]
Place of birth Passendale, Belgium
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[3]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder, centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Anderlecht
(on loan from Aston Villa)
Number 32
Youth career
2001–2003 FC Passendale
2003–2009 Roeselare
2009–2013 Anderlecht
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2019 Anderlecht 171 (11)
2018–2019 → Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) 19 (2)
2019–2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers 105 (7)
2022– Aston Villa 36 (1)
2024 → Napoli (loan) 3 (0)
2024– → Anderlecht (loan) 6 (0)
International career‡
2010–2011 Belgium U16 10 (0)
2011–2012 Belgium U17 8 (2)
2013–2014 Belgium U19 9 (0)
2014–2015 Belgium U21 5 (3)
2015–2023 Belgium 32 (1)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Belgium
FIFA World Cup
Third place 2018
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 October 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 June 2023 (UTC)

Leander Dendoncker (born 15 April 1995) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as either a defensive midfielder or centre-back for Belgian Pro League club Anderlecht, on loan from Premier League club Aston Villa.

Dendoncker joined Anderlecht in 2009 and made his professional debut in July 2013, going on to play 171 matches and score eleven goals for the club as well as winning two Belgian Super Cups and a Belgian Pro League title. In 2018, he signed for Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan, before transferring permanently for €15 million. After making 159 appearances and scoring twelve goals for the club, Dendoncker moved to fellow Premier League side Aston Villa in September 2022 for an undisclosed fee. He was loaned to Serie A club Napoli and to Anderlecht.

Dendoncker made his senior international debut for Belgium in June 2015. He was part of their squad that finished third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, also featuring at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.

Club career

[edit]

Anderlecht

[edit]

Dendoncker transferred from K.S.V. Roeselare to R.S.C. Anderlecht in 2009, choosing that club ahead of Standard Liège, Club Brugge and K.R.C. Genk.[4] After performances for the youth team in the NextGen Series and a training camp in Turkey, he was incorporated into the first team in January 2013.[4] He said at the time that he modelled his game on that of the Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets.[4]

He made his professional debut on 21 July in the 2013 Belgian Super Cup, replacing Dennis Praet for the final nine minutes of the 1–0 win over Genk at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium.[5] On 26 September, he extended his contract until 2016.[6]

However, it was not until 1 August 2014 that he debuted in the Belgian Pro League, on the first day of the season away to KV Oostende.[7] After scoring his first professional goal on 18 January 2015 in a 3–0 win at Lierse S.K., Dendoncker was praised by former Anderlecht player Paul Van Himst, who said that there was no better player at his position in the club.[8] He played six matches in the 2014–15 Belgian Cup, which his team lost 2–1 in the final to Brugge.[9]

Anderlecht won the 2016–17 Belgian First Division A.[10] Dendoncker scored five goals along the way, including two on 18 December in a 4–0 home win over K.A.S. Eupen.[11] He also played all 16 games in their European campaign that season, which ended with elimination by eventual winners Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League. In the first leg of that tie on 13 April 2017, he scored a late equaliser in a 1–1 draw.[12]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

[edit]

On 9 August 2018, Dendoncker moved to newly promoted English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers on an initial season-long loan with an obligation on Wolves to make the player a permanent Wolves signing in summer 2019.[13] He made his debut on 28 August in the second round of the EFL Cup away to Sheffield Wednesday (2–0 victory), with coach Nuno Espírito Santo making nine changes from the previous game.[14] In late September, The Football Association rejected the obligatory purchase clause in Dendoncker's Wolves contract and made his deal permanent for €15 million.[15]

He finally made a league appearance on 5 December in a 2–1 win against Chelsea, playing the final nine minutes in place of goalscorer Raúl Jiménez,[16] and scored his first Premier League goal on his sixth appearance in the competition, in a 1–3 win at Everton on 2 February 2019.[17]

Dendoncker with Wolves in April 2022

Dendoncker committed a foul in the Wolves penalty area with just 180 seconds remaining of their April 2019 FA Cup semi-final with Watford while leading 2–1, thereby conceded the penalty that enabled the opponents to draw the game and then win in extra time.[18] On 4 May he scored the only goal of a home win over Fulham, which enabled Wolves to make the Europa League as a result of Watford losing the cup final.[19][20]

Dendoncker became a permanent Wolves signing on 1 July 2019, his original loan agreement having included an obligation on the club to sign him permanently at the end of the original season-long loan period.[21] Following the introduction of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) by the Premier League for the 2019–20 season,[22] he was the first Wolves player to have a 'goal' ruled out using VAR in a league match during Wolves' opening fixture away to Leicester City on 11 August.[23]

On 14 December 2020, it was announced by Wolverhampton Wanderers that Dendoncker had extended his contract with the club until 2023, with an option of a further twelve months available to the club.[24][25] He made his 100th competitive appearance for the club in an FA Cup 4th Round tie away to non-league Chorley the following 22 January, a game Wolves won 1–0.[26] He scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season at home to West Ham United in a 3–2 loss on 5 April 2021.[27] He scored his first goal in the 2021–22 Premier League season in 2–0 win away to Tottenham Hotspur on 13 February 2022.[28]

Aston Villa

[edit]

On 1 September 2022, Dendoncker moved to fellow West Midlands-based Premier League club Aston Villa for a fee of around £13 million.[29] He made his debut 15 days later, as a 67th-minute substitute for Jacob Ramsey in a 1–0 home victory over Southampton.[30] He was mainly used as a substitute in his first season, and missed out on games altogether, and manager Unai Emery said that it was because of "a problem at home"; he was absent from all of March 2023 with a hand injury.[31]

Dendoncker scored his first goal for Aston Villa on 26 December 2023, his team's second in a 3–2 defeat at Old Trafford against Manchester United.[32]

Loan to Napoli

[edit]

On 26 January 2024, Dendoncker was sent to Serie A club Napoli on loan until the end of the season, with the option to buy for around £8 million at the end of the loan.[33] He made his Napoli debut two days later in a 0–0 draw at Lazio.[34] On 30 June 2024, Napoli confirmed that they would not be taking up the option to sign Dendoncker permanently and he would be returning to Aston Villa.[35]

Loan to Anderlecht

[edit]

On 31 August 2024, Dendoncker returned to Anderlecht on loan until the end of the season.[36] Both clubs agreed on a purchase option, but the amount is undisclosed.[37]

International career

[edit]
Dendoncker (right) and England's Jamie Vardy at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Dendoncker was first called up for the Belgium national football team on 22 May 2015 by manager Marc Wilmots, along with his Anderlecht teammate Youri Tielemans.[38] He made his debut on 7 June in a friendly game away to France, replacing Jason Denayer for the final five minutes of a 4–3 win.[39]

On 4 June 2018, manager Roberto Martínez named Dendoncker in Belgium's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[40] He made his tournament debut on 29 June in a 1–0 win over England at the Kaliningrad Stadium, with both teams fielding unfamiliar teams having already advanced to the last 16.[41]

Dendoncker was called up by Martínez for UEFA Euro 2020 in May 2021.[42] After starting the first two games, he was replaced for the rest of the tournament for the quarter-finalists once Axel Witsel recovered from injury.[43]

On 8 June 2022, Dendoncker scored his first international goal in a 6–1 home win over Poland in the Nations League.[44] At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he started Belgium's opening match against Canada in a three-man defence alongside the experienced Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld in a 1–0 win,[45] and was dropped from the next game, a 2–0 defeat to Morocco.[46] He returned to the starting line-up in a goalless draw with Croatia which eliminated the Belgians.[47]

Personal life

[edit]

Dendoncker was born in Passendale, West Flanders, to pig farming parents.[4] He is the middle of three footballing sons: younger brother Lars was on the books of Club Brugge KV before moving to Brighton & Hove Albion in 2020, while older Andres played local football and became an agent for his siblings.[48][49] Lars Dendoncker retired at age 22 in 2023, due to a heart condition.[50]

Dendoncker moved to Brussels to play for Anderlecht while in their under-15 team and suffered from homesickness while adjusting to the difference between a largely white rural setting and a diverse urban environment.[51] He attended the Sint-Guido-Instituut school in Anderlecht at the time that it was being filmed for the fly-on-the-wall documentary De School van Lukaku (Lukaku's School) focusing on his teammate Romelu Lukaku.[51]

Dendoncker speaks three languages fluently; English, French and Dutch. He has noted that he speaks in West Flemish to his family, but the Brabantian dialect when doing interviews for Anderlecht.[51]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of match played 27 October 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Anderlecht 2013–14[52] Belgian Pro League 0 0 1 0 — 0 0 1[c] 0 2 0
2014–15[52] 26 2 6 0 — 6[d] 0 0 0 38 2
2015–16[52] 23 1 1 1 — 6[e] 0 — 30 2
2016–17[52] 40 5 1 0 — 16[f] 1 — 57 6
2017–18[52] 36 1 2 0 — 6[g] 0 0 0 44 1
Total 125 9 11 1 — 34 1 1 0 171 11
Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) 2018–19[53] Premier League 19 2 5 0 2 0 — — 26 2
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2019–20[54] 38 4 2 0 0 0 17[e] 2 — 57 6
2020–21[55] 33 1 3 0 1 0 — — 37 1
2021–22[56] 30 2 2 0 2 1 — — 34 3
2022–23[57] 4 0 0 0 1 0 — — 5 0
Total 124 9 12 0 6 1 17 2 — 159 12
Aston Villa 2022–23[57] Premier League 20 0 1 0 — — — 21 0
2023–24[58] 8 1 1 0 1 0 5[h] 0 — 15 1
2024–25[59] 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
Total 28 1 2 0 1 0 5 0 — 36 1
Napoli (loan) 2023–24[58] Serie A 3 0 — — 0 0 — 3 0
Anderlecht (loan) 2024–25[59] Belgian Pro League 6 0 0 0 — 2[e] 0 — 8 0
Career total 287 19 25 1 7 1 54 5 1 0 378 24
  1. ^ Includes Belgian Cup, FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ^ Appearance in Belgian Super Cup
  4. ^ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  6. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, fourteen appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
  7. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  8. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

International

[edit]
As of match played 17 June 2023[60]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Belgium 2015 1 0
2016 1 0
2017 2 0
2018 2 0
2019 3 0
2020 3 0
2021 12 0
2022 7 1
2023 1 0
Total 32 1
Belgium score listed first, score column indicates score after each Dendoncker goal.[60]
List of international goals scored by Leander Dendoncker
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 8 June 2022 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium 27  Poland 5–1 6–1 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A

Honours

[edit]

Anderlecht

Belgium

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Squad List: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Belgium (BEL)" (PDF). FIFA. 18 December 2022. p. 3. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Leander Dendoncker: Overview". ESPN. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Leander Dendoncker: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "Dendoncker, le jeune qui monte" [Dendoncker, the young player on the rise] (in French). DH. 13 January 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Anderlecht bat Genk et remporte sa 11e Supercoupe" [Anderlecht beat Genk 1–0 and win their 11th Super Cup]. L'Avenir (in French). 21 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Dendoncker prolonge à Anderlecht jusqu'en 2016" [Dendoncker prolongs at Anderlecht until 2016] (in French). RTBF. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  7. ^ "Dendoncker: "Les voilà enfin, mes premiers buts!"" [Dendoncker: "Finally, my first goals!"] (in French). DH. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Van Himst : "A Anderlecht, personne n'est meilleur que Dendoncker en n°6"" [Van Himst: "At Anderlecht, nobody is better at #6 than Dendoncker] (in French). RTBF. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  9. ^ "Anderlecht repris de volée par Bruges en finale de la Coupe" (in French). RTBF. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  10. ^ a b Scholten, Berend (19 May 2017). "Anderlecht wieder ganz oben in Belgien" (in German). UEFA. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  11. ^ "Dendoncker, auteur d'un doublé contre Eupen : "Je savais que j'allais marquer"" [Dendoncker, author of a brace against Eupen: "I knew I was going to score"] (in French). RTBF. 18 December 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  12. ^ "Leander Dendoncker strikes late to deny Red Devils away victory in Europa League". Talksport. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  13. ^ "Wolves land Belgium unternational Dendoncker". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 9 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Sheffield Wednesday 0–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers". BBC Sport. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  15. ^ Taildeman, Yves (22 September 2018). "Leander Dendoncker déjà vendu pour 15 millions" [Leander Dendoncker already sold for 15 million]. La Libre (in French). Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  16. ^ Spiers, Tim (7 December 2018). "Leander Dendoncker delighted with Wolves bow". Express & Star. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  17. ^ Johnston, Neil (2 February 2019). "Everton 1–3 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Wolves impress in win at Everton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  18. ^ Spiers, Tim (8 April 2019). "Heartbroken Leander Dendoncker admits 'stupid foul' in Wolves Cup defeat". Express & Star. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  19. ^ "Leander Dendoncker strike keeps Wolves in hunt for European place". The Observer. 4 May 2019.
  20. ^ Kendrick, Mat (18 May 2019). "'L06ERS' Man City batter Watford in the FA Cup final & the response from Wolves fans is brutal". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Wolves sign Leander Dendoncker on permanent deal". Sky Sports. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  22. ^ "Premier League to introduce VAR for start of 2019/20 season". The Independent. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  23. ^ "Leicester 0–0 Wolves: Leander Dendoncker has goal ruled out by VAR decision". BBC Sport. 11 August 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  24. ^ "Dendoncker signs new Wolves contract". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 14 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  25. ^ Edwards, Joe (15 December 2020). "Leander Dendoncker signs new Wolves contract until 2023". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  26. ^ Stone, Simon (22 January 2021). "Chorley 0–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Vitinha's superb goal sees Wolves past non-league opponents". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  27. ^ Rose, Gary (5 April 2021). "Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–3 West Ham: Jesse Lingard stunner helps Hammers to win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  28. ^ Bysouth, Alex (13 February 2022). "Tottenham Hotspur 0–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers:Conte's side beaten at home". BBC Sport.
  29. ^ Preece, Ashley (1 September 2022). "Aston Villa announce Leander Dendoncker transfer from Wolves". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  30. ^ McNulty, Phil (16 September 2022). "Aston Villa 1-0 Southampton: Steven Gerrard praises side after 'big victory'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  31. ^ Cox, Lewis (28 March 2023). "Unai Emery hopeful of Leander Dendoncker Aston Villa return". Express & Star. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  32. ^ Stone, Simon. "Manchester United 3–2 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  33. ^ Townley, John (26 January 2024). "Aston Villa transfer confirmed as midfielder departs Unai Emery's squad". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  34. ^ Mackenzie, Alasdair (28 January 2024). "Lazio 0-0 Napoli: Star-shy giants play out goalless draw in Serie A with top four hopes in balance". www.tntsports.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  35. ^ Townley, John (30 June 2024). "Napoli confirm Aston Villa transfer decision after nightmare outcome". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  36. ^ "Leander Dendoncker keert voor (minstens) 1 seizoen terug naar Anderlecht: "Dit is toch echt mijn thuis"". sporza.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  37. ^ "Welcome back, Leander". www.rsca.be. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  38. ^ "Diables rouges: Wilmots appelle Dendoncker et Tielemans" [Red Devils: Wilmots calls up Dendoncker and Tielemans]. La Libre (in French). 22 May 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  39. ^ "Une spectaculaire victoire de prestige!" [A spectacular prestigious victory!]. L'Avenir (in French). 7 June 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  40. ^ "World Cup 2018: Belgium include Vincent Kompany but Christian Benteke misses out". BBC Sport. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  41. ^ "Adnan Januzaj strikes as Gareth Southgate's side finish second". Sky Sports. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  42. ^ Keen, Liam (17 May 2021). "Wolves' Leander Dendoncker called up to Belgium EURO 2020 squad". Express & Star. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  43. ^ Michel, Lucas (20 June 2021). "Hazard et De Bruyne de retour : la Belgique retrouve ses cadres" [Hazard and De Bruyne back: Belgium find their shape again]. Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  44. ^ "Belgium 6-1 Poland: Red Devils turn on the style". UEFA. 8 June 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  45. ^ "Michy Batshuayi spares Belgium's blushes as Canada miss chance for upset". The Daily Telegraph. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  46. ^ Smyth, Rob (27 November 2022). "Belgium 0–2 Morocco". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  47. ^ Wilks, Mitchell (1 December 2022). "Belgium, that was pathetic! Winners, losers & ratings as hopeless Belgium crash out of World Cup after Lukaku horrorshow". Goal. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  48. ^ Vandewynckele, Fons (30 August 2016). "Andres Dendoncker: "Gekozen voor ploeg naast mijn deur"" [Andres Dendoncker: "Chosen for a team next to my door"]. het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  49. ^ "Lars Dendoncker (19) tekent net als broer Leander in Engeland: "Maar zeker niet dankzij de achternaam"" [Lars Dendoncker (19) signs just like brother Leander in England: "But certainly not thanks to the surname"]. het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 2 July 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  50. ^ Carden, George (27 July 2023). "Former Brighton player Lars Dendoncker retires due to heart condition". The Argus. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  51. ^ a b c Vandeweghe, Hans (14 May 2017). "Verhaal over Leander Dendoncker in De Morgen van 13 mei 2017" [Story about Leander Dendoncker in De Morgen of 13 May 2017] (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 July 2018.
    Vandeweghe, Hans (14 May 2017). "Leander Dendoncker, de aorta van Anderlecht: "Voetbal is bijzaak"" [Leander Dendoncker, Anderlecht's aorta: "Football is a side issue"] (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  52. ^ a b c d e "L. Dendoncker". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  53. ^ "Games played by Leander Dendoncker in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  54. ^ "Games played by Leander Dendoncker in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  55. ^ "Games played by Leander Dendoncker in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  56. ^ "Games played by Leander Dendoncker in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  57. ^ a b "Games played by Leander Dendoncker in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  58. ^ a b "Games played by Leander Dendoncker in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  59. ^ a b "Games played by Leander Dendoncker in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  60. ^ a b "Leander Dendoncker". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
[edit]
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