Dennis Praet

Dennis Praet (Dutch pronunciation: [praːt]; born 14 May 1994) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Leicester City and the Belgium national team.

Dennis Praet
Praet playing for Anderlecht in 2016
Personal information
Full name Dennis Praet[1]
Date of birth (1994-05-14) 14 May 1994[2]
Place of birth Leuven, Belgium
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[3]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Leicester City
Number 26
Youth career
1999–2000 SJV Motbroek
2000–2002 Stade Leuven
2002–2003 OH Leuven
2003–2010 Genk
2010–2011 Anderlecht
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2016 Anderlecht 139 (20)
2016–2019 Sampdoria 98 (4)
2019– Leicester City 40 (2)
National team‡
2009 Belgium U15 3 (0)
2009–2010 Belgium U16 10 (1)
2010–2011 Belgium U17 11 (2)
2011 Belgium U18 2 (0)
2012 Belgium U19 7 (2)
2012–2016 Belgium U21 17 (2)
2014– Belgium 9 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:03, 28 December 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:01, 15 November 2020 (UTC)

Early life

Praet was born in Leuven, Flemish Brabant.[4]

Club career

Youth at Genk

Praet joined the Genk youth academy in 2003 at the age of 8. He went on to spend most of his youth career at Genk, where he quickly made an impression and played for the club's youth teams until 2010.[5][6] He was part of a strong generation at the club and scouts considered him one of the top talents. He became part of Belgium's youth teams and attracted the interest of clubs like Arsenal, Barcelona, Ajax and Lille.[5][7]

Anderlecht
Praet playing for Anderlecht in 2014

In May 2010 Praet transferred from Genk to Anderlecht turning down more lucrative offers.[5][6] At Anderlecht he started out with the under-19 team, continuing to impress. In 2011, he received the prize for best player during the AEGON Future Cup in Amsterdam, a youth tournament in which teams like Ajax and Bayern Munich also competed.[8]

Praet debuted in Anderlecht's first team on 21 September 2011 starting in the Belgian Cup against Lommel United and provided two assists in a 4–0 win.[9] In the next round of the cup he scored his first official goal for Anderlecht, against Rupel Boom FC. Not long after, on 30 October, he also made his debut in the Belgian Pro League as a substitute for Fernando Canesin while playing against Lierse SK. In March 2012, Praet signed a new contract until 2015.[10]

During the 2012–13 season, Praet played regularly for Anderlecht as the club won their second straight league title.[5] A two-year contract extension was agreed in early 2014 to take him through to the summer of 2017. He scored the third goal in Anderlecht's 3–1 Jupiler Pro League play-off win over Lokeren on 25 May 2014 to seal Anderlecht's 33rd league title, and their third in a row.[11]

Praet made his 100th competitive appearance for the club in the league match at Club Brugge on 31 August 2014.[12] On 16 September, he scored away to Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League group stage to put Anderlecht in front, but the Turkish club equalised in added time.[13] His first league goal of the 2014–15 season came in the 2–2 draw at home to Club Brugge when he scored Anderlecht's opening goal to equalise midway through the first-half. Like his strike against Galatasaray in the Champions League, it went in off the post. He scored in four consecutive games for Anderlecht between 14 and 26 December 2014, with the league wins over KV Oostende, Waasland Beveren and KVC Westerlo and the Belgian Cup win against SV Zulte Waregem.

This rich of form at the end of the year was rewarded at a ceremony on 14 January 2015 where Praet won the 2014 Belgian Golden Shoe, the annual award given to the best player in the Jupiler Pro League for the previous calendar year.[9] He polled five points (250) ahead of Víctor Vázquez of Club Brugge (245).[14][15]

Sampdoria

On 24 August 2016, Praet's move to Sampdoria was finalised. Sampdoria paid a transfer fee of €10 million.[16] After being heavily linked with a move to reigning Serie A champions Juventus during the 2018 summer transfer window, in November 2018, Praet signed a contract extension with Sampdoria, extending his stay at the club until 2021.[17]

Praet was an ever present in the Sampdoria side during his three year spell, appearing in 98 Serie A games and scoring 4 goals, as the club finished in the top half of the table all three seasons.[9]

Leicester City

On 8 August 2019, Praet signed for Premier League club Leicester City on a five-year contract, for a reported fee of €20 million.[9][18] On 18 August 2019, he made his league debut as a 73rd-minute substitute in a 1–1 draw against Chelsea.[19] On 11 January 2020, Praet scored his first goal for Leicester City in 1–2 defeat against Southampton.[20] On 20 September 2020, he scored his second goal in a 4–2 win over Burnley.[21]

International career

Belgium

Praet has represented Belgium at every age group under-15 and older making an appearance in the U21 team a mere three years after first playing for the U15 team.[5]

On 6 November 2014, Praet received his first call up to the senior Belgian squad for the friendly at home to Iceland on 12 November, and the Euro 2016 Qualifier against Wales on 16 November. He made his senior international début coming on as a 76th-minute substitute for Christian Benteke after all four goals had been scored in the 3–1 friendly win over Iceland in Brussels.[9]

Praet earned his second cap for Belgium almost four years on from his debut featuring in a 1–1 draw against rivals Netherlands in October 2018.[17]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 10 December 2020[22]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Anderlecht 2011–12 Belgian Pro League 7021——91
2012–13 Belgian Pro League 272626[lower-alpha 1]11[lower-alpha 2]1406
2013–14 Belgian Pro League 375206[lower-alpha 1]01[lower-alpha 2]0465
2014–15 Belgian Pro League 307216[lower-alpha 1]11[lower-alpha 2]0399
2015–16[lower-alpha 3] Belgian Pro League 376009[lower-alpha 4]0—466
2016–17 Belgian First Division A 10001[lower-alpha 4]0—20
Total 139201242823118227
Sampdoria 2016–17 Serie A 32120——341
2017–18 Serie A 32130——351
2018–19 Serie A 34230——372
Total 9848000001064
Leicester City 2019–20 Premier League 2719[lower-alpha 5]0——361
2020–21 Premier League 1011[lower-alpha 5]06[lower-alpha 4]1—172
Total 3721006100533
Career totals 274263043433134134
  1. Appearance in the UEFA Champions League
  2. Appearance in the Belgian Super Cup
  3. Some sources, e.g. worldfootball.net, attribute Anderlecht's third goal against Club Brugge on 25 October 2015 to Praet;[23] that goal and two others in the same match were officially ruled by the Pro League to be own goals.[24][25]
  4. Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  5. Includes appearances in the FA Cup and EFL Cup

International
As of match played 15 November 2020[26]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Belgium 201410
201500
201600
201700
201810
201940
202030
Total90

Honours

Anderlecht[9]

Individual

References
  1. "Premier League clubs publish 2019/20 retained lists". Premier League. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  2. "Dennis Praet: Overview". ESPN. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  3. "Dennis Praet: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  4. "Dennis Praet: Profile". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  5. Dorrington, Nick (21 July 2015). "Dennis Praet's vision and technique have made Europe's elite take notice". ESPNFC. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  6. Wollaston, Steve (3 July 2015). "Aston Villa – everything you need to know about new £10m target Dennis Praet". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  7. "Arsenal to beat Barcelona in race for Belgian wonderkid?". Total Barça. 12 April 2010. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  8. Jonges, Ronald (25 April 2011). "AEGON Future Cup: Het eindrapport" (in Dutch). Ajax.nl. Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2013. adidas Beste Speler van de AEGON Future Cup 2011: Anderlecht-middenvelder Dennis Praet nam de prijs voor Beste Speler van het toernooi in ontvangst uit handen van Ajacied Christian Eriksen.
  9. "Dennis Praet Signs For Leicester City On Permanent Deal". Leicester City. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  10. "Arsenal do their groundwork on Dennis Praet". Express. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  11. "Anderlecht clinch title in Belgium". UEFA. 18 May 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  12. "'The Belgian Iniesta' – Meet Juventus target Dennis Praet". Goal. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  13. "Galatasaray 1–1 Anderlecht: Late Burak goal saves point for hosts". Goal.com. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  14. Scholten, Berend (14 January 2015). "Anderlecht's Praet is Belgium's best". UEFA.com. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  15. "Dennis Praet wint Gouden Schoen, Vazquez strandt op vijf puntjes". Sporza (in Dutch). 14 January 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  16. "Sampdoria stelt Dennis Praet officieel voor" [Sampdoria officially presents Dennis Praet]. Sport Wereld (in Dutch). 24 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  17. "Praet extends Sampdoria contract". Sports Star. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  18. "Leicester set to sign Sampdoria midfielder Dennis Praet for €20m". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  19. "Chelsea 1-1 Leicester City: Wilfred Ndidi secures hard-earned point". BBC Sport. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  20. "Dennis Praet vs. Southampton". lcfc.com. 11 January 2020.
  21. "Highlights: Praet scores screamer as Leicester beat Burnley". BBC Sport. 11 January 2020.
  22. "D. Praet". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  23. "Belgium: Eerste klasse A 2015/2016: 12. Round: RSC Anderlecht – Club Brugge KV 3:1". worldfootball.net. Heim:spiel Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  24. "Pro League geeft enkel Okaka doelpunt na 3–1 tegen Club Brugge" [Pro League gives only Okaka a goal after the 3–1 against Club Brugge]. De Standaard (in Dutch). 26 October 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  25. "Anderlecht vs. Club Brugge 3–1". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  26. "Praet, Dennis". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  27. "Paars-witte U17 winnen AEGON Future Cup". RSCA.be. Archived from the original on 6 April 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  28. "Anderlecht's Praet is Belgium's best". UEFA. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
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