In his case, moreover, this reunion comes at the right time. After a difficult start to the season, spent running behind his best form, Praet had the best week since joining the Great Old at the start of September. It’s true that there was room to do better during the derby at Beerschot (1-1) but the midfielder above all signed a benchmark match against Union SG during the quarter-final of the Cup (5-1 ). Two assists, one for Vincent Janssen and a second for Gyrano Kerk, and a headed goal (only the second of his career) to top it off. Enough to make him smile again after a few complicated weeks, even if his coach and his teammates almost seemed happier than the main person concerned.
“Fantastic” against Union SG
“For Dennis, it may have been frustrating lately because he didn’t have any stats as an attacking midfielder, but today he played fantastically.”smiled Captain Toby Alderweireld. “We all wished him; It will only give him confidence.”confié Zeno Van den Bosch. “It’s normal that it’s not the same Praet as eight years ago.”a expliqué Jonas De Roeck. “I’m not the same anymore either, certainly not physically. But Dennis is someone who has not always had it easy with the pressure from the media, the fans, from Belgium football as a whole. But it is a fact that he is always the center of attention. This is why it is important that he has a climate of trust with us.”
Because Antwerp did its best to protect him. “I think we should just remember that he hadn’t played for a very long time.”analyzes Ritchie De Laet, number 1 figure who retired this summer. “Here and there he had a lot of injuries too. You will definitely take all these things with you. It will impact your confidence. A player who doesn’t have one will never be 100%. Dennis’ last months were those of reconstruction.”
The club gave him time to get back up to speed physically and make a gradual return. “Everything can’t come back overnight, it takes time.”continues De Laet who was present in the visiting block of Kiel for the derby last Sunday. “You have to find your bearings, play every week. Something Dennis hasn’t done in a long time. Belgium also remains a high-level competition. Am I surprised it took this long for him to regain his feelings? Yes and no. Yes, because I think we all know Dennis’ qualities. And no, because we all know he hasn’t had regular playing time in a long time. I hope, like all Antwerp supporters, that he can now continue this momentum. The player and the man deserve it. Belgian football simply deserves to be able to see the best Dennis Praet on its fields.”
Certainly on the one at Lotto Park. It doesn’t matter what his condition is.
