For the first time in his young professional career, which began exactly a year ago during a trip to Eupen, Mario Stroeykens (17) received a rating in our newspaper. Going up to the game in the 66th against the Cercle, he finally reached the minimum 20 minutes necessary. And the score was good: 7 out of 10. “He kept the ball much better than Zirkzee”, we wrote.
Despite the disappointment of the defeat, Vincent Kompany also appreciated the entry of the kid. “Will this match be a turning point for Mario? I hope so. He has talent and I try to give playing time at the right time. In modern football, sometimes you try to provoke things but it’s It’s important that young people can have an impact when given a chance.”
An “early mature” to manage
In the entourage of Stroeykens, seen as a great talent for a long time and almost always outclassed, we sometimes doubted Sporting’s strategy with the one we already nicknamed “Super Mario” in Neerpede. But the boy is what is called an “early mature”. Since his time with the A’s, he has had to digest the physical opposition with men who are finally as strong as him, or even stronger.
Between the demands of professional football and the appetite of the gifted youngster, the management must find a balance, in particular to convince Stroeykens to extend a contract which ends in June 2023. Anderlecht hopes to be able to offer him a long-term lease when he reaches the majority on September 29. Before that, the duration of the contracts is limited by law. From a good source, we learn that negotiations have already started between the leaders and the player’s representatives.
