The Wonderkid from Nowhere

In a world where every player at every club is scouted extensively from the age of 10, it feels impossible for a potential superstar, a bonafide wonderkid, to emerge from nothing to European stardom in less than a year. But that is exactly what is happening in Belgium and it’s a story so riddled with fortune and timing you can’t help but wonder who else may have slipped through the cracks. This kid is scoring goals at a Haaland-like pace and recently set the record for the fastest hat trick in European club competition history. A year ago, he was an amateur in a place so far off the radar of international scouting that it is impossible to find on Google. And Google knows everything. So if Google can’t find it, it certainly is not real. Much Love, The Zealand Sources ► the Athletic ► SI