Steven Defour
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| Steven Defour | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Steven Defour | |
| Date of birth | April 15, 1988 | |
| Place of birth | Mechelen, Belgium | |
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | |
| Playing position | Midfielder | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Standard Liège | |
| Number | 8 | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| KV Mechelen | ||
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 2004-2006 2006- |
RC Genk Standard Liège |
30 (1) 60 (7) |
| National team | ||
| 2006- | Belgium | 12 (0) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Steven Defour (born April 15, 1988 in Mechelen) is a Belgian football player currently playing for Standard Liège.
Contents |
[edit] Career
[edit] Transfer saga
The diminutive playmaker had just had a superb season for KRC Genk, and AFC Ajax were keen to sign the young star. Genk set their asking price too high, but there were suggestions that Ajax would exploit a Belgian law whereby a professional sportsman is allowed to terminate his contract and buy it off according to how many months of salary he would have expected to receive during the remainder of his deal. The transfer to Ajax did not happen, but Standard Liège snapped up the talented youngster. The commotion even led to Genk chairman Jos Vaessen stepping down.
[edit] Quick Rise
After playing youth football at Hombeek and KV Mechelen, Defour had been with Genk since 2002. His first-team debut was as a substitute in the 2004/05 season but his big breakthrough came the next season, when the 17-year-old showed himself a player able to deploy his skills in the interest of the whole team, creating opening with his astute passing. Now Defour is on a five-year contract at Standard, learning from Portuguese star Sérgio Conceição and Milan Rapaić in the 2006/07 season. For the 2007/8 season, despite being only 20 years old, the right-sided Belgian international is now Standard's captain.
[edit] Mixing With Stars
Defour said: "At Genk things became too easy for me. At Standard I may not play in every match at this stage, but I would rather have 20 good matches and start on the bench 14 times, then play 34 moderate matches. Even in training I have become a better player by working with players like Conceição and Rapaić. They give me advice, but also listen to me. I already have criticised Conceição. Sérgio accepts my criticism as he realises I am a good player."
[edit] Golden Shoe and Championship
During the 2007-08 season Defour received the Golden Shoe, the official award for most valuable player in the Belgian League, of the year 2007. This was in recognition of his outstanding performances that had made Standard one of the best teams in the Jupiler League. The form that won him this award would continue as Defour led Standard to the Jupiler League title, for the first time in 25 years.
[edit] International career
Since making his international debut for Belgium against Saudi Arabia on 11 May 2006 he also has become a regular choice for national coach René Vandereycken. Defour is now established as the new Belgian golden boy after Vincent Kompany, and with his burst of pace, vision, passing and little shimmies, he could be that nation's main playmaker for a decade to come.
[edit] External links
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mbark Boussoufa |
Belgian Golden Shoe 2007 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by Sérgio Conceição |
Standard Liège Captain 2007–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
|
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