Standard Liege playmaker
Steven Defour has already been linked with several top English clubs, and it's no surprise given his performances in Europe last season
saw him dubbed 'the Belgian
Fabregas' by some pundits. Could January see him finally make his move to the Premier League?
Defour played superbly for Standard Liège in both major European competitions during 2008/09, as the Belgian side beat
Everton,
Sevilla and Sampdoria in the UEFA Cup, having earlier given Liverpool a
scare in the Champions League qualifying stages. This alerted several
clubs from Serie A and the Premier League, although
Chelsea’s scouts had actually initially watched him before he moved to Standard Liège.
Aston Villa,
Tottenham and
Liverpool have been rumoured to be interested in signing him, but the strongest links have been with
Arsenal and Marseille.
Here, brought to you in association with our friends at
Championship Manager, is our scouting report into the Belgium and Standard Liège star...
Defour had a textbook angst-riddled Myspace photo...
15th April 1988
Nationality: Belgian
Club: Standard Liège (Belgium)
Position: Central Midfielder
Transfer Value: £12 million
Career History
Steven Defour initially played for KV Mechelen’s youth team before
joining KRC Genk aged 16. He broke into the Genk side aged 17 and
quickly became one of the side’s most important players, linking the
play and creating chances for his teammates. By 2006 he was on the
radar of Belgium’s larger clubs, and it was Standard Liège who pounced
first, bringing him to the Stade Maurice Dufrasne where he is now
captain. He was named the most valuable player in Belgium in 2007 and
has twice helped Standard win the Belgian league in 2008 and 2009, a
feat they previously hadn’t managed since the early 80s. Defour is
already an established member of the Belgian national team and is under
contract at Standard until 2013.
Playing Style
A playmaker who looks to create chances for his teammates and works hard to help the team retain possession.
"It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A!"
A good passer with an excellent work rate and real leadership qualities – he was named captain of Standard Liège aged just 19.
Weakness
Not the most imposing in an aerial battle and isn’t the best header of
the ball. His shooting could also do with some work if he wants to add
goals to his game.
Talentspotter ratings
• Shooting: 4.0
• Passing: 8.0
• Heading : 3.0
• Tackling: 6.9
• Pace: 7.5
• Work-rate: 9.5
• Crossing : 6.5
• Creativity: 8.0
• Dribbling: 7.5
• Overall: 8.5