Anderlecht goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen insists he is not rueing that failed £4.5 million move to Burnley while telling Het Nieuwsblad that he is no longer in ‘contract’ with Clarets boss Vincent Kompany.
One man’s misery, as they say, is another’s fortune.
It took the injury-enforced absence of captain Hendrik van Crombrugge during the 1-0 Boxing Day victory over RSC Charleroi for Verbruggen to get his chance, and hasn’t the 20-year-old seized it?
Even after Van Crombrugge returned to full fitness, the long-serving skipper has been unable to oust a man nearly a decade his junior; former NAC Breda youngster Verbruggen grabbing the opportunity to show why he was singled out as one for the future by Patrick Lodewijks, the Dutch national team’s newly-appointed goalkeeping coach.
Sunday’s 3-1 triumph over Sint-Triuden was Verbruggen’s eighth start in a row. He will take some shifting.
Burnley came close to signing Anderlecht goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen
Verbruggen was handed his first-team debut by Kompany at Anderlecht.
The Burnley boss had hoped to spark a reunion at Turf Moor; complications over his work permit scuppering a potential £4.5 million move to the runaway Championship leaders (Het Nieuwsblad).
“I don’t know about a bid. I leave that to my agent. But I was quite impatient to play at the highest level. I have also made that clear internally,” Verbruggen says when quizzed about that Burnley interest.
The former Netherlands U18 international admits that, if he did not see a route into the first-team at Anderlecht, he would have wasted no time in packing his bags.
“For my development, I could not sit on the bench with the first-team until I was 24. My first choice was to break through at Anderlecht. If that was not possible, I would certainly have looked at other options, yes,” Verbruggen adds.
“At a certain point it was mutually decided that I would stay anyway. It’s not like I watch Burnley every weekend now and think; ‘I wish I had (gone there)’.
“Even though they’re doing great in the Championship. I no longer have contact with Vincent Kompany.
“(I am in touch) with his goalkeeper coach, Jelle ten Rouwelaar. But I have known him since I was ten years old at NAC Breda. He is a footballing father to me. Jelle also brought me from NAC to Anderlecht.”
Burnley look certain for Premier League return
Burnley eventually signed Aro Muric on loan from Manchester City instead; Kompany making use of his Etihad connections. Muric kept his 11th clean sheet of the Championship campaign as a Clarets side inspired by hat-trick hero Nathan Tella saw of Preston North End 3-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Burnley are 17 points clear of third-place Middlesbrough.
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