As Belgium announced their 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup on Thursday afternoon, Amadou Onana managed to make the cut.
Since joining Everton in the summer, the 21-year-old has been one of the Toffees’ finest additions this season.
Operating as a box-to-box midfielder for Frank Lampard’s men, the former Lille starlet has been an instant success in the Premier League.
Alongside Alex Iwobi and Idrissa Gana Gueye, the youngster has formed a midfield trio that is widely considered as one of the best on form in the English top-flight this term.
It is testament to Onana’s all-action displays that the Red Devils decided to call him up ahead of the showpiece event, despite having earned a mere two caps in his career for the national team.
And it would not even come as a surprise if Everton’s No.8 starts for Roberto Martinez’s side in Qatar.
The highly-rated midfielder could provide the steel in the middle of the park, as Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans conjure something out of nothing further up the pitch.
Upon arriving from Ligue 1, there were several question marks over why the Merseyside-based outfit had shelled out a sizeable £33 million fee, including add-ons to complete his signature.
However, Onana has silenced all his early detractors by exhibiting his unique blend of defensive solidity and technical security in an Everton shirt so far.
Much of the same can be expected from the midfield dynamo for Belgium, who wish to surprise the world by going all the way in a major tournament this time around.
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