Jeremy Doku's childhood clubs anticipate World Cup debut

As the World Cup approaches, excitement is building at Antwerp-based football clubs Tubantia Borgerhout and TOR Pirates Deurne, the first clubs of rising star Jeremy Doku. Doku, now 24, began his football journey with these clubs at the tender age of five.

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He immediately caught the eye with his flashes. In the second half of the season, a lot of scouts noticed that.

Benny Van Loon, chairman of TOR Pirates Deurne (formerly Olympic Deurne), recalls Doku's immediate impact. "He immediately caught the eye with his flashes. In the second half of the season, a lot of scouts noticed that," Van Loon said. Doku's early talent and speed were undeniable, leading him to leave for Beerschot the following year, and subsequently Anderlecht, marking him as a significant asset to Belgian football.

While Doku is in top form for the tournament, his participation might be affected by personal circumstances. His wife is due to give birth to their first child soon, raising the possibility he could miss a crucial World Cup match. Former youth coach Peter Janssens expressed a strong opinion, stating that if Doku is at the World Cup, he has chosen to play and the birth can happen later. However, another youth coach, Gunter Jacobs, empathizes with Doku's desire to be present for the birth, acknowledging it's a once-in-a-lifetime event.

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If you go to a World Cup, you choose to play. That may sound harsh, but if you are there, you choose to play. That baby will still be there afterwards.

Doku honed his early dribbling skills on the pitches near the E313 highway for Olympic Deurne, which had a collaboration with Tubantia Borgerhout. The clubs are proud of his development and the impact he has had on Belgian football.

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Having a child, that's something you only experience a few times in your life. If everything evolves as it is now, he might be able to play 5 World Cups. I understand that he would come home, I would do the same.