Failed Wonderkid #4- Anthony Vanden Borre

Biodata

Full Name: Anthony Henri Vanden Borre

Nationality: Belgian

Date of Birth: 24 October 1987

Position: Right Back/ Right Winger

Current Club: Free Agent

Current Market Price: 500k Euro (Updated on Mar 2017)

Highest Market Price: 6.50mil Euro (Sept 2005)

Former Clubs:

2003- 2007 Anderlecht

2007- 2008 Fiorentina

2008- 2010 Genoa

2009- 2010 Portsmouth (loan)

2010- 2012 Genk

2013- 2017 Anderlecht

2017 TP Mazembe

International Career:

2004- 2014 Belgium

Achievement:

Anderlecht

2003- 2004 Belgian Pro League

2005- 2006 Belgian Pro League

2006- 2007 Belgian Pro League

2007 Belgian Super Cup

2012- 2013 Belgian Pro League

2013- 2014 Belgian Pro League

Genk

2010- 2011 Belgian Pro League

Career

Wonderkid is always exciting, especially for those who played Football Manager will understand the excitement of having a huge prospect in your team with just low prices before he succeeds in your team. In Football Manager 2005, the game had identified some football talents in the real world like Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez and Vincent Kompany. However, there is a Belgian who had almost the same potential with his national teammate but his career has been diverted into a different pathway.

Anthony Vanden Borre started his football career in Anderlecht, which is the same time as Vincent Kompany. He had his opportunity in the early stage of his career as he made his debut in regular competition at the age of 16, which is the second youngest debutant in his entire club history. Vanden Borre was once tipped as the better Belgian prospect than Kompany. Even the club legend, Paul Van Himst called Vanden Borre as the biggest talent he had ever seen for his technical ability, passing and vision. However, this is the starting point of his declining career. While Kompany had maintained to the highest level of play match, Vanden Borre’s attitude had started to dent his career. Still, he was linked to a move away to clubs like Hamburger SV, Ajax, Inter Milan and Tottenham.

Vanden Borre eventually got his move abroad when he signed for Fiorentina in 2007. However, he was subsequently moved on to join Genoa in a co-ownership deal after just half-season in Florence. Vanden Borre had a slight renaissance period in Genoa as he made 25 appearances for the club and registered 2 assists as a right back. Even he stated he felt happy and wanted to stay in Genoa in an interview with Belgium Soccer, his honeymoon in Genoa wasn’t long as he was soon available on a transfer and since fallen out of the first team.

He had once again moved on to another club, this time to Portsmouth on a season-long loan basis. However, his time at Fratton Park does not seems to be fruitful for both player and the club as the Pompey suffered relegation at that season. Even though his performance in Pompey's jersey was actually impressive by scoring once and assisted twice in 25 games mainly in a right-back position, the Portsmouth manager at the time, Steve Cotterill had stated that Vanden Borre would not return to the club as well. He announced his arrival to Genk despite having some contract agreement complication with Genk, Genoa and Hapoel Tel Aviv. His contract complication was resolved in January 2011 as Genoa released the player for free.

His time in Genk was also full of ups and downs, mostly down by the way. Vanden Borre had the game time he desired but at the same time suffered disciplinary issue on the pitch. He was not offered a new contract. In 2013, after five years away from the club, Vanden Borre made his return to Anderlecht. His homecoming wasn’t great either as his playing time is limited. Even though he had selected in Belgium’s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, his performance in both club and country was far from impressive. Vanden Borre also was loaned out to Montpellier on a season-long loan, but his loan spell was cut short by Montpellier and returned to Anderlecht in January 2017.

After a failed loan spell in Montpellier, Vanden Borre announced his retirement in football on January 2017 at the age of just 29. However, he reversed his decision shortly and signed for the Congolese side TP Mazembe. Which his football career in Congo lasted just 4 months. He had been without a club since then.

Verdict

Disappointment Rate: 8/10. Not a career pathway that most of the football fans expected him to be, especially for those who played Football Manager 2005. In most of Vanden Borre’s career, he is just a shadow of his past glory. At the age of 32 and without a club since 2017, it just proved that he had been eliminated by time and never fulfil his massive potential in this cruel footballing world.