Former Newcastle United defender Philippe Albert believes Club Brugge youngster Bjorn Engels has the ability to follow in the footsteps of Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen.
A product of the Club Brugge academy, the 21-year-old has been earning rave reviews for his assured performances since he came back into the side in December after a lengthy injury layoff because of knee problems.
The defender took very little time to earn his regular place back in the Club Brugge starting eleven and has helped his side to remain three points clear at top of the Belgian Pro League playoff table.
Former Newcastle defender Albert is a big fan of Engels and believes he has all the right ingredients to become a top defender in the future. He also added that Club Brugge will soon find it hard to hold on to Engels, as the youngster has the ability to follow in the footsteps of top Belgian defenders such as Kompany and Vermaelen.
The former Red Devil told Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws: “Engels for me is a player with great defensive and offensive qualities, an excellent mentality and a professional attitude.
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“This is a combination that can take him far.
“Within two or three years he will outgrow Club Brugge and in four or five years, I can see him following Kompany and Vermaelen.”
Despite his tender years, Engels has already made 66 appearances for Club Brugge and was on the bench during Belgium’s 2-1 loss to Portugal last month.
