Anderlecht head of academy Jean Kindermans has revealed that he uses Chelsea winger Charly Musonda as an example for young players who want to leave the club too soon.
Musonda left the Anderlecht academy to join Chelsea in 2012 when was moving towards breaking into the Belgian giants’ senior squad.
He caught the eye of many with his performances in youth football at Chelsea as well but has struggled to make his mark in senior football, making just seven first-team appearances.
Currently, on loan at Vitesse, Musonda is now 23 years old and is nursing a long term knee injury, which could rule him out for the rest of the season.
Tipped to become a world star, the Belgian has struggled to make the step up in senior football and Kindermans admits that he uses Musonda as an example to the other young players about the problems a player might face if he wants everything too early.
Kindermans told The Athletic: “Of course I tell my young players — look at Musonda, this is what can happen if you move too soon. This was one of our best players on the youth side.
“He left at 15 and now he is struggling to find his place in professional football.
“I wouldn’t be honest in future discussions with talented players if I didn’t use this case.
“But it is not just Musonda — I can easily take 20 other names that I have in my office of guys who also left us early and are either now just at a normal club or not playing at all.”
The Anderlecht head of academy insisted that Musonda should try to build his career from a lower level after he recovers but is unsure whether his ego would allow him to do that.
“Can Charly fulfil his potential? I hope so. Talking as a human being rather than as a technical director, it would be a real shame if he doesn’t.
“He will have to concentrate on the recovery and then start maybe at a lower level to grow back up.
“But I don’t know if, in his mindset, there is space for a lower level.”
