The general public in Belgium probably does not know him because he has not played an official match in the A team, but the long Belgian adventure of the only Latvian in the history of Anderlecht has not gone unnoticed by Neerpede . Before visiting him, we asked the former director of the youth school, Jean Kindermans, for details on Daskevics’ four years at Anderlecht.
“A photo with Acheampong”
“The story dates back to 2012”, explains Kindermans, currently in Antwerp. “You remember the matches between Anderlecht and the Lithuanians of Ekranas (5-0 and 0-6 for Anderlecht) in the Champions League preliminaries? Herman Van Holsbeeck put me in touch with an agent who claimed to be able to offer us the greatest talents in the Baltics. Daskevics was one of them. In 2015, he joined us for camps and training during vacation periods, but he couldn’t yet sign at 13.”
Daskevics welcomes us between two training sessions. “What language do we speak to each other?” he says in English, French and Dutch without the slightest accent. “I learned my Dutch at the Sint-Guido Instituut in Anderlecht. I was a good student, I think the teachers liked me. I was able to move from 3rd grade to 5th grade. I have especially improved my French here in Riga: we have a Frenchman, a Senegalese and two Congolese in the team. In addition to these three languages, I obviously also speak Latvian and Russian. But let me not express myself in Russian, you understand why (Editor’s note: there are strong tensions between Latvia and Russia).”
Back to the year 2015, when the young Daskevics found himself in Neerpede for the first time. “My idol was the Ghanaian Frank Acheampong, who played in my place. While waiting for a meeting with Jean Kindermans in the entrance hall of the complex in Neerpede, I realize that the African player who is in the chair at next to me is… Acheampong. Too shy, I didn’t dare ask him for a photo. Fortunately, my agent did it for me.
“Goal and penalty against Chelsea”
Kindermans is immediately charmed by Daskevics’ talent. “And Urbain Haesaert (the main youth scout) Also”remembers the former boss of the academy. “He had an excellent left foot, explosiveness, he had action in his legs.” Daskevics remembers tournaments in which he was able to participate. “I played in the ‘Marc Overmars’ tournament in Amsterdam against Ajax, I played a tournament in Milan. I remember scoring and forcing a penalty against Chelsea. But my best match was against Atletico Madrid in the Futures Cup. I scored against Atletico. And against Ajax, too.”
In 2017, at the age of 15, Daskevics permanently joined Anderlecht. “To comply with UEFA and FIFA regulations, my parents had to accompany me and that’s what they did. We lived on the border between Anderlecht and Molenbeek. My dad worked as a truck driver, he distributed packages. My mom took care of my little sister.”
Daskevics finds himself in an exceptional team. Kindermans: “The 2002s were a crazy generation, with Doku, Sardella, Aït El Hadj, Kana… And Eduards did not stand out in this team. It was already a huge performance from him.”
“Kompany believed in me”
In July 2019, the culmination of the dream came closer for Daskevics. The new sports boss Vincent Kompany selects him for the mini-internship in Portugal. “I really felt like Kompany believed in me. I also played the preparation match at RWDM (0-1). And I received half an hour of play during the victory at Benfica (1-2).”
The man for whom Daskevics goes up to 60th is…”Jérémy Doku… We knew each other well, since we were in the same class at the Sint-Guido Instituut. He was much stronger than me at football, but I was better than him at school (laughter). What if I helped him get his lessons in order when he missed lessons? (After a silence) Do I really have to answer this question? (rires) Of course yes. But let’s just say we helped each other with our homework…”
Then, at the start of training, Daskevics experienced the first misfortune of his career. “During a simple game of toro, I hurt myself. I was out for a month and a half. When I was back on track, I had to start again with the U21s. I didn’t get another chance with the A’s.” His coach with the U21s is not just anyone. “Craig Bellamy taught me a lot. His authority left an impression on me. When he spoke, you couldn’t interrupt him.”
“I accept that Doku was stronger”
At the end of the 2020-2021 season, Daskevics’ adventure in Anderlecht comes to an end. “I took a test in Rakow in Poland, then in D2 in Denmark. And finally, I found myself in D2 in Norway. We won the title with Kjetil Rekdal – ex-Lierse – as coach, but I didn’t play not enough. The football was too physical. I wasn’t happy in Norway.”
At the beginning of 2023, he returns to the country. “It was a very hard decision to make. On social networks, I read: ‘He failed abroad while he was in one of the best academies in Europe, in Anderlecht. He’s the umpteenth Latvian who doesn’t succeed.'” Kindermans defends Daskevics: “It’s not a scandal to lose the competition to a Doku. I see that he is having a good career in his own way. So much the better if Neerpede was able to help him.”
Daskevics doesn’t beat around the bush. “I thought for a long time about the reason for my failure at Anderlecht. The explanation is simple: I have nothing to reproach myself for in terms of mentality or desire to work. Doku and the others were simply better than me, period. They had more talent. Of course I dream of returning to Anderlecht one day, but it’s not realistic. On the other hand, I will return with my family to Brussels for a city trip. Belgium is a magnificent chapter in our lives.
“Modric also wanted my jersey”
Meanwhile, Daskevics starts at second-placed FC Riga, six points behind the RFS champions. And above all he became an A international: he played 13 matches with Latvia. “Including twice against Croatia. Our club doctor was the Croatian national team doctor. He contacted Modric to exchange shirts with me after the match. And in the tunnel leading to the locker room, Modric did not forget me. Shaking his hand, I told him he probably wasn’t interested in my jersey, but he wanted it anyway. His jersey is the most precious item I have, I hid it in a secret place (laughter).”
His Anderlecht jersey, on the other hand, he brought to us for our report. However, he is almost no longer in contact with Anderlecht. “I sometimes hear Jan Verlinden, who was in charge of our football-studies program. And by chance, I spoke with Aït El Hadj last week via video call because one of our Argentinians had called Niang from ‘Union, who comes from FC Riga? No, I don’t want to bother him at City? I played with him in U21, but we’re no longer in contact. message to Sardella I’m going to go to the match, but I don’t plan to go to the Anderlecht hotel, no…”
“Attention Anderlecht: 10-1 means nothing…”
Having shared the stake against Galatasaray (2-2, 1 goal from Mertens) and having narrowly lost in Frankfurt, the RFS is not a team to underestimate. Daskevics: “His best players are Ikaunieks who plays in ’10’, the Ivorian striker Cedric Kouadio, Markhiev is a very good midfielder and Lipuscek is a defender with a very good left foot. The atmosphere? Daugava Stadium has an athletics track and the RFS doesn’t have Ultras, so it won’t be a crazy atmosphere. But Anderlecht won’t have it easy! You might think that our championship is worthless, given my team’s 10-1 against FK Tukums last week. The bottom five in the Virsliga standings, our D1, are weak. But the first three have a decent level, the RFS shows it in the European Cup. I have five goals and eight assists. It’s too little…”
Before letting us go to the Anderlecht press conference, Daskevics asks us a favor. “Will you say hello to Jean Kindermans? Anderlecht will forever be in my heart. I will be supporting Anderlecht this Thursday. I bought two places at €60 per ticket.”