Stroeykens: 'I wondered if I still fit into the plans'

INTERVIEWS Mario Stroeykens has been the relevaltie of recent weeks at Anderlecht. However, it seemed in August that he might leave. "I still had a year's contract and then you start thinking," Stroeykens looks back in Het Nieuwsblad. "I'm not going to lie about that."


"I was wondering if I still fit into the plans," Stroeykens said. The 19-year-old youth product then had a conversation with coach Brian Riemer and with management. "They made it clear what their plan and vision was and we were on the same page." Stroeykens says he wanted clarity. No more fifty-fifty affairs, but everything one hundred percent clear. 

When Anderlecht brought in so many offensive reinforcements at the end of August, doubts did strike for a while, he confesses. "I thought 'Oy, so many good players are coming, maybe my place will be in danger'. But I wanted to accept the challenge."

In recent weeks, Stroeykens has been doing well. He is in the starting lineup and performing well. "That's because I live like a pro now; I know what to do the day before a game and also watch my food during the week," Stroeykens said. Three years after his debut, will this be the season of the big break? "People sometimes forget that I'm only 19 years old," he said.

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