Belgian Premier League XI

Having spent almost two decades in mediocrity since being fourth at the 1986 World Cup, Belgium has experienced a renaissance in recent years.

The Premier League has proved to be a favorite spot for brilliant Belgians, as the country's top talent has often settled in the top tier of English football.

Remarkably, of the 23 Belgian players who will participate in the 2018 World Cup, 18 people spent time with the Premier League clubs. In total, 54 Belgian exports have appeared in the Premier League and we decided to compile an XI of the best.

Here, in formation 3-5-2, is the Belgian eleven of all time of the Premier League …

Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois

The giant goalkeeper was signed by Chelsea in 2011, but he had to be patient while he was looking for an opportunity at Stamford Bridge.

S & # 39; s being established as one of the most promising goalkeepers of European football at a three year loan to Atletico Madrid, Courtois returned to Chelsea in 2014 to finally dislodge the legend of the club, Petr Cech.

The transition was smooth, with Courtois helping the Blues win the Premier League title in his first season as a regular player in Jose Mourinho's second stint at the club.

A second title was won by Antonio Conte in 2017, winning the Golden Glove of the Premier League, while Courtois also won an FA Cup and a League Cup when he was at the club, after winning many honors before joining Real Madrid in 2018.

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Central defender: Toby Alderweireld

Originally arrived in the Premier League on loan at Southampton in 2014, Alderweireld's impressive performances on the South Coast persuaded Tottenham to spend £ 11.5m to get him signed to Atletico. Madrid.

Spurs, Alderweireld continued to shine as one of the main defenders of the division, playing a leading role since the team of Mauricio Pochettino has become a regular in the Champions League.

Cool and composed, the centerback also has an excellent lineup of pbades and was named in the PFA team in 2016.

The reign of Pochettino in North London has not yet been implemented despite the clear improvement it has, with a strong defense of which Alderweireld is at the base of its recent success.

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Central back: Vincent Kompany

Signed during the summer that Manchester City was catapulted financially into the European elite, few players have contributed more to the club's trajectory, moving from the Premier League team to mid-table to long-time opponents for the biggest prizes of the game

Signed from Hamburg for around £ 6m, Kompany will become one of the best central defensemen in the division's history and one of the best deals in the Premier League.

His leadership saw him named club captain in 2011, leading City to win four Premier League titles from 10 major honors before joining the first Anderlecht club in 2019.

He was named Premier League Player of the Year in 2012, having been the City captain for the first title of high flying champion in 44 years. His departure will leave a huge void in City, after consolidating his place among the biggest of the club.

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Central defender: Jan Vertonghen

Over the last few seasons, Tottenham fans have had to travel north of London proudly, having seen rivals Arsenal, constantly failing to rectify their deficiencies in defense.

In 2012, Jan Vertonghen had been linked to changes in both clubs. However, he chose the Spurs to play in his privileged central rear position.

Arsenal's defeat has certainly been the win for Tottenham, the Belgian having become one of the most reliable defenders of the Premier League. Comfortably on the ball and a nifty defender, Vertonghen has been a model of consistency since joining the Spurs of Ajax for an amount of about 12 million euros only.

Named in the PFA team of the year in his debut, Vertonghen has made more than 250 appearances for the club and remains at age 32 a key figure in the Spurs team.

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Midfielder: Marouane Fellaini

Oh, Marouane. The long-haired and bruised Belgian, who despite his criticism has been a strong Premier League contributor for 11 years at Everton and Manchester United.

Signed by David Moyes for both clubs, Fellaini's unorthodox approach and divine guidance helped him become a useful weapon during his five-year stay at Goodison Park.

Used both as a midfielder and as an offensive option, Fellaini's physical appearance made it a difficult proposition, even for the best defenders in the Premier League.

The Belgian has become something of a scapegoat in United's failures in recent seasons. His transfer to Old Trafford, worth 27 million pounds, marked the first signing of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, becoming the symbol of the sharp decline of the club.

Whether he likes it or hates it, Fellaini has tended to keep his promises and scored several vital goals for both clubs before settling in China in 2019.

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Midfielder: Mousa Dembele

Ask any Spurs player who was the best player of the club during Dembele's career at the club and they almost unanimously nominate the Belgian.

Despite such talents as Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Harry Kane, few Tottenham players stand out from the powerful midfielder designation.

After joining Fulham in the Premier League, Dembele joined Tottenham for a £ 15 million contract in 2012 and has become a key player in the northern part of London.

Technically superb and excellent dribbler, Dembele was able to easily pbad the players, while his strength made it almost impossible to dispossess.

His career in the Premier League has unfortunately failed in the delivery of cutlery, but Tottenham supporters will remember him fondly by having moved to the Chinese Super League in January 2019.

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Midfielder: Kevin De Bruyne

Originally signed by Chelsea as a promising young player before failing to settle at Stamford Bridge, De Bruyne was sold to the German Wolfsburg team before returning to the Premier League with Manchester City in 2015.

The playmaker had matured during his stay in the Bundesliga, having been named player of the year in the Bundesliga the previous season and arrived at City with a point to prove.

Since returning to English football, De Bruyne has become one of the leaders in the Premier League, helping City to win two consecutive championship titles in 2018 and 2019.

The midfielder also helped City to qualify for an unprecedented national 'triple' in 2018/2019, being named man of the match as Pep Guardiola's side beat Watford 6-0 in the FA Cup final.

Without doubt one of the most complete field midfielders of world football, De Bruyne has all the attributes for him to be remembered as a great Premier League player.

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Right: Kevin Mirallas

Talented but with character, Mirallas is one of those players who, in his opinion, could have been more productive given his abilities.

Signed by Everton in 2012 after scoring 34 goals in 52 league appearances with the Greek Olympiakos team, Mirallas did not meet those standards in the Premier League, reaching double of all competitions in Merseyside.

While his goal was down, he was constantly threatening opponents' defenses, but he was versatile and varied. Mirallas scored 29 goals in 151 games for Everton before falling out of favor in 2017..

Although he has been loaned over the last two seasons to Olympiakos and Fiorentina, Mirallas is still an Everton player, but he is expected to evolve this summer.

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Left: Eden Hazard

Undoubtedly the best Belgian to have honored the Premier League, Eden Hazard delivered magical moments in English football during a seven-year stay at Chelsea.

Signed on the French side of Lille in 2012, Hazard went from a promising young talent to one of the best football players in the world at Stamford Bridge. He earned Chelsea six major honors before joining Real Madrid in 2019.

Named PFA Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year during Chelsea 's triumphant title campaign in 2014/15, Hazard has also been named in the team' s year – long division four times.

Possessing a mesmerizing control and balance, the winger's ability to make past players forget has made him one of the most entertaining players in the league to watch during his Premier League career.

His departure saw English football lose one of his lights. Hazard won two league titles and scored 85 goals in the Premier League before his big transfer to Spain this summer.

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On the front: Christian Benteke

Given his recent fights, it can be easy to forget that Christian Benteke was a formidable Premier League striker.

The big Belgian left Genk to settle at Aston Villa in 2012 and, during a sensational first season, he scored 19 goals in 34 selections for the Midlands. The towering man-goal continued to score prolific points and after scoring 42 goals in 89 league games in 89 caps for Villa, he won a lot of money in Liverpool.

Benteke's style seemed ill-suited to the philosophy of the Liverpool pbad and the movement did not work very well. A great shot over the head at Old Trafford was a highlight, but after only nine goals and one season, Benteke moved to Crystal Palace.

At Selhurst Park, Benteke seemed to have regained his scoring touch, scoring 15 league goals in his first season with the Eagles.

From there, however, his form has dropped considerably, although his early years are enough to deserve his place in our Belgian eleven, and Palace hopes that he will be able to regain his best form next season.

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On the way: Romelu Lukaku

Lukaku, the Belgian striker and the most prolific striker in the Premier League, is another Chelsea-qualified player as a highly rated prospect before going elsewhere.

Loan episodes in West Brom and Everton have demonstrated their ability to score regularly in the first division, before a final transfer to Goodison Park in 2014.

After plundering 87 goals in 166 games for Everton, Lukaku earned £ 75 million from Manchester United, becoming the most beloved Belgian ever in the history of football.

In his first campaign at Old Trafford, he scored 27 goals in all competitions. However, his second success was less successful and saw him falling at a disadvantage.

The striker in the history of Belgium, the all-time record, has been linked to a retirement from the Premier League this summer, despite his remarkable record of goals.

At just 26, Lukaku is tied with Ian Wright, legend of Arsenal, ranked 19th overall scorer in the league, having scored 113 goals in the Premier League in 252 appearances.

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