At 21 Tielemans was the youngest player included in Belgium’s World Cup squad, and one who could stick around for the next two or three tournaments. He hasn’t had too much of an opportunity in Russia.
He started the final group game with England, but that was only when both teams rested a host of players, and along with his other two substitute appearances, racked up only 97 minutes on the pitch. This tournament was probably more for him to gain experience than to make an impact.
After four seasons in the first team at Anderlecht, he made the move to Monaco before the start of last season, but sadly that move hasn’t quite worked out well yet. There is no doubting his talent though.
He is an accomplished passer of the ball, and capable of dictating play from the centre of the park. He is able to do a job in front of the defence, but is also able to provide that bit of quality in a more advanced position.
He is a player who has interested Europe’s top clubs in the past, and rightly so. Monaco is the right place for him to develop. We have seen over the past couple of years that players improve drastically in the principality, and Tielemans could be the next man.