Ibe Hautekiet begins to take a starting place at Standard: “In U16, he was ahead of Arthur Theate”

The Courtraisian initially appeared as a default choice, established while awaiting the return of Nathan Ngoy, but he was never moved by this situation and continued his work. His performances have often convinced, notably during the first two days at Genk and against Bruges, but sometimes left some doubts, as during the trip to Anderlecht where he appeared overwhelmed by the speed of the game and the impact of the duels. “I am satisfied with my level. If I want to be honest, I must admit that I am not happy with two performances, against Westerlo and during this famous trip to Parc Astrid.”

This humility symbolizes his journey. Since his arrival at Standard, Ibe Hautekiet has been content with a role in the shadows, shared between Challenger Pro League meetings with SL 16, where he struggled to give the full measure of his potential, and a place on the bench, at best, with the first team.

This status does not correspond to the expectations raised by his performances with the national youth teams. The defender shared the locker room of a generation built around Jérémy Doku, Killian Sardella and Maarten Vandevoort. A talented batch in which his qualities were fundamental to the balance of the team. “I considered him a real hope of Belgian football. He played alongside Sardella in central defense and, in my opinion, they were of the same levelexplains Bob Browaeys, his coach. He was very strong with both feet, to the point where I don’t know which was his best, and could infiltrate the game thanks to his past as a striker at Zulte Waregem. His heading was also an incredible asset, which has already brought us some important goals. He was a crucial player in my system.”

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Destiny chose to build a winding path for him, designed around battles that nourished his strength of character. In 2019, he approached Euro U17 as a starter but seriously injured his ankle in the first match. Subsequently, Belgium was eliminated in the quarter-finals and lost the match for fifth place which would have given them a ticket to the World Cup in Brazil. “We had a lot of ambitions going into this tournament but Ibe’s injury was a big blow. I think if he hadn’t got injured we could have reached the semi-finals and so we qualify for Brazil.”

His career has not followed the same evolution as that of his former teammates. Because of this ankle which handicapped him for a long time, but also because of the strong competition within the Bruges youth teams which forced him to move to Standard in the hope of showing himself among the professionals. At twenty-two, the process took longer than expected. “At sixteen or seventeen, Ibe had the same potential as Arthur Theate. I would even go so far as to say that he was more advanced than him. He has a great mentality and extraordinary work abilities. S ‘he finds a coach who believes in him, I’m sure the next steps will happen naturally’continues Bob Browaeys.

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He doesn’t prefer to see too far ahead, certainly burned by a career that hasn’t done him any favors. His first mission will be to convince the public, but also his club where a relative confided to us, not long ago, that he “couldn’t hold a candle to Nathan Ngoy at his maximum potential”. Today, the injury of the Liège hopeful opens up a royal path for him in the starting eleven. “I first want to play a full year, play a series of matches. Afterwards, you never know what can happen because everything moves very quickly in football. So I am only focusing on this season”finishes the defender.