The Belgian left-back does not see himself in the Belgium fold anytime soon.
Jed Wallace of Millwall and Laurens De Bock of Leeds United in action during the Sky Bet Championship match between Leeds United and Millwall at Elland Road on January 20, 2018 in Leeds,…
Leeds United newbie Laurens De Bock has been speaking about his time at the club so far with the Yorkshire Evening Post this week. The January signing from Club Brugge has been brought in to the much needed left-back position and will hope to become a trusted regular at Elland Road.
He will also be hoping to put his name back in contention for the Belgian national team. Capped numerous times for the under-21s he has often been mentioned as a potential option for the senior side – including prior to the European Championships in 2016.
Roberto Martinez looks on during the Premier League match between Burnley and Newcastle United at Turf Moor on October 30, 2017 in Burnley, England.
This summer Belgium, managed by former Everton boss Roberto Martinez, are looking to go all the way at the World Cup in Russia. De Bock will likely be among a pool of players that Belgium have to choose from in his position but he explained to the YEP why he felt a call-up was unlikely:
“In Belgium they play a system with three defenders but I’m mostly a pure left-back.
“In that case it’s a little bit difficult. I think the coach has searched for other players who can be in this position. It’s always an objective to play for your country but I don’t think it’s realistic at the moment.”
Jordan Lukaku of SS Lazio in action during the TIM Cup match between AC Milan and SS Lazio at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on January 31, 2018 in Milan, Italy.
De Bock certainly has plenty of opposition. Martinez is happy to play Jan Vertonghen of Tottenham at left wing-back. He also has Lazio’s Jordan Lukaku at his disposal and is happy to give left-sided midfielders a chance in the role.
Therefore the Leeds newbie is right to doubt any chances of a call-up to the national team in the immediate future, especially with the form Leeds are currently in.
But if he can prove himself over time, perhaps he will get the chance to play with Belgium at another summer tournament.
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