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Steven Defour
Defour playing for Anderlecht in 2015
Personal information
Full name Steven Arnold Defour[1]
Date of birth (1988-04-15) 15 April 1988 (age 36)[2]
Place of birth Mechelen, Belgium
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1993–1997 Zennester Hombeek
1997–2004 Mechelen
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2006 Genk 30 (1)
2006–2011 Standard Liège 127 (13)
2011–2014 Porto 65 (3)
2014–2016 Anderlecht 63 (9)
2016–2019 Burnley 51 (2)
2019–2020 Antwerp 11 (0)
2020–2021 Mechelen 16 (0)
Total 363 (28)
International career
2003 Belgium U15 5 (1)
2003–2004 Belgium U16 11 (1)
2004–2005 Belgium U17 11 (1)
2005 Belgium U18 1 (0)
2006–2017 Belgium 52 (2)
Managerial career
2021–2022 Mechelen (assistant)
2022–2023 Mechelen
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Steven Arnold Defour (born 15 April 1988) is a Belgian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder, currently a manager.

He played 247 games and scored 23 goals in the Belgian Pro League for Genk, Standard Liège, Anderlecht, Antwerp and Mechelen, winning two league titles and a national cup with the second team. Abroad, he won the Primeira Liga twice at Porto and played in the Premier League for three years at Burnley.

Defour earned 52 caps for Belgium in an 11-year international career that began in 2006, and represented the nation in the 2014 World Cup.

Club career

[edit]

Genk

[edit]

Born in Mechelen, Defour played youth football with local K.V. Mechelen, moving to K.R.C. Genk in 2004.[3] He made his Pro League debut on 30 October 2004 as a 78th-minute substitute for Paul Kpaka in a 1–0 home win against Sint-Truidense V.V. in a Limburg derby, and scored his first goal on 5 November the following year, also assisting in the 4–1 victory over K.S.V. Roeselare at the Fenixstadion.[4] At just 17, he became first choice,[5] finishing the 2005–06 campaign with 26 games and one goal to help his team to the fifth position.

When Genk failed to qualify for European competition, Defour tried to move to AFC Ajax in the summer of 2006. Enraged by earlier reports that Ajax had approached the player to broker a deal without their consent, Genk did not accept the proposed transfer fee, and after protracted negotiations, Ajax pulled out of the deal. Defour tried to force a transfer by threatening to leave, using a Belgian law that allowed professional athletes on fixed-term contracts to leave their employers before the end of the stipulated term, but Ajax did not express a renewed interest in his services, and he ended up signing for Standard Liège for a much-reduced transfer fee, effectively breaking a gentlemen's agreement between Belgian sides not to sign under-contract players using the aforementioned law.[6][7][8]

Standard Liège

[edit]

Defour joined Standard on a five-year deal,[9] being appointed team captain at the start of his second year after taking over from Portugal's Sérgio Conceição – he was just 19 years old.[10] He received the Belgian Golden Shoe at the end of the season in the process, leading the Reds to their first league title in 25 years.[11]

In late 2009, shortly after scoring four goals in 31 games to help Standard renew their domestic supremacy, Defour broke his right foot. During his period of recovery he received a letter from Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United, wishing him all the best in his recovery,[12] and this led to persistent rumours of a switch to the English club, but he refuted these by saying "I do know that Manchester United are monitoring me – if everything goes well and I continue playing as I am, there is a better chance of me leaving than there was at the start of the season";[13] eventually, nothing came of it.

Porto

[edit]
Defour playing for Porto in 2013

On 15 August 2011, Portuguese club FC Porto agreed to buy the sporting rights of Defour for €6 million, and he signed a five-year contract.[14][15][16] He finished his first year with 37 official appearances and added two goals,[17][18] helping his new team to win the Primeira Liga championship.[19]

Defour netted Porto's second goal against GNK Dinamo Zagreb on 18 September 2012 in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League (2–0 away win).[20] The following 13 March, for the same competition but in the round of 16, he was booked twice and subsequently sent off in the 49th minute of the second leg of the tie at Málaga CF, as the northerners lost 2–0 at La Rosaleda Stadium and 2–1 on aggregate.[21]

Anderlecht

[edit]

On 13 August 2014, Defour moved to R.S.C. Anderlecht on a five-year deal, for €6 million. On 25 January of the following year, when playing at Standard Liège, he was sent off for deliberately kicking the ball at home fans who had unfurled a banner depicting his severed head under the slogan "Red or Dead". His ejection caused the visiting supporters to rip out their seats and throw them onto the pitch,[22] and the banner received criticism from both the Royal Belgian Football Association and the league.[23]

Burnley

[edit]

On 16 August 2016, Defour signed for Premier League club Burnley on a three-year deal for a club-record transfer fee of £8 million.[24][25] He made his competitive debut four days later, starting in a 2–0 home win over Liverpool in which he helped create the second goal by Andre Gray but was substituted early in the second half due to a lack of fitness.[26] On 10 September, also at Turf Moor, he scored his first goal for his new team to open a 1–1 draw with fellow promotee Hull City, and was praised after the match by manager Sean Dyche.[27]

Defour scored a 25-yard direct free kick on 26 December 2017, as Burnley led 2–0 at half-time in an eventual draw at Manchester United.[28] During his later spell, he was constantly bothered by injury problems.[29] His contract was extended in September 2018 to last until June 2020,[30] but on 31 August 2019, he had it terminated citing personal reasons and a need to return to Belgium.[31]

In September 2022, Dyche named Defour as the most talented player he ever coached in his ten years at Burnley.[32]

Later career

[edit]

In September 2019, aged 31, Defour joined Royal Antwerp F.C. on a one-year deal.[33][34] On 16 October 2020, he returned to Mechelen 13 years after leaving the Achter de Kazerne, agreeing to a performance-oriented contract.[35]

Defour announced his retirement on 11 May 2021.[36] On 17 October 2022, he returned to Mechelen as head coach; previously an assistant, he replaced the dismissed Danny Buijs.[37] In his first game two days later, he won 2–0 at home to Standard;[38] he reached the final of the Belgian Cup in his first season, losing 2–0 to Mark van Bommel's Antwerp.[39]

On 2 November 2023, after having been ousted by lowly Royal Knokke F.C. in the round of 32 of the domestic cup and with the team inside the relegation zone in the league, Defour was shown the door.[40]

International career

[edit]
Defour lining up for Belgium in 2011

Defour was first called up for the Belgian senior team by manager René Vandereycken in May 2006, aged just 18.[41] He made his debut on 11 May in a friendly against Saudi Arabia in Sittard in the Netherlands, playing all but the last minute of a 2–1 win;[4] he scored his first goal on 6 September 2008, in a 3–2 victory over Estonia at his club ground the Stade Maurice Dufrasne for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[42]

Defour scored once in three appearances in qualification for the 2014 World Cup, opening a 2–0 away defeat of Scotland on 6 September 2013.[43] He was selected for the finals in Brazil by manager Marc Wilmots,[44] making his debut in the competition on 26 June in the third group stage match against South Korea after Belgium had already won their first two outings and sealed qualification, and was sent off in the last minute of the first half of the eventual 1–0 win after a rash tackle on Kim Shin-wook.[45]

Defour missed UEFA Euro 2016 due to injury and the 2018 World Cup, having been sidelined since that January.[46] On 25 May that year, the 30-year-old announced his retirement from international football.[47]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[48]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Genk 2004–05 Belgian First Division 4 0 0 0 — 0 0 — 4 0
2005–06 Belgian First Division 26 1 2 0 — 1[a] 0 — 29 1
Total 30 1 2 0 — 1 0 — 33 1
Standard Liège 2006–07 Belgian First Division 29 4 7 1 — 4[b] 0 — 40 5
2007–08 Belgian First Division 24 1 3 1 — 3[a] 0 — 30 2
2008–09 Belgian Pro League 33 4 1 0 — 10[c] 0 1[d] 0 45 4
2009–10 Belgian Pro League 13 1 0 0 — 3[e] 0 1[d] 0 17 1
2010–11 Belgian Pro League 27 3 5 0 — — — 32 3
2011–12 Belgian Pro League 1 0 — — — 0 0 1 0
Total 127 13 16 2 — 20 0 2 0 165 15
Porto 2011–12 Primeira Liga 24 1 2 1 3 0 8[f] 0 0 0 37 2
2012–13 Primeira Liga 25 2 2 0 5 1 7[g] 1 1[h] 0 40 4
2013–14 Primeira Liga 16 0 6 1 4 0 9[i] 0 1[h] 0 36 1
Total 65 3 10 2 12 1 24 1 2 0 113 7
Anderlecht 2014–15 Belgian Pro League 29 6 4 1 — 6[j] 0 — 39 7
2015–16 Belgian Pro League 32 2 1 1 — 9[e] 0 — 42 3
2016–17 Belgian First Division A 2 1 — — 2[g] 0 — 4 1
Total 63 9 5 2 — 17 0 — 85 11
Burnley 2016–17 Premier League 21 1 3 1 0 0 — — 24 2
2017–18 Premier League 24 1 0 0 1 0 — — 25 1
2018–19 Premier League 6 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 — 9 0
Total 51 2 5 1 2 0 0 0 — 58 3
Royal Antwerp 2019–20 Belgian First Division A 11 0 1 0 — — — 12 0
Mechelen 2020–21 Belgian First Division A 16 0 3 0 — — — 19 0
Career total 363 28 42 7 14 1 62 1 4 0 485 37
  1. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Cup
  2. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, two in UEFA Cup
  3. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, eight in UEFA Cup
  4. ^ a b Appearance in Belgian Super Cup
  5. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  6. ^ Six appearances in UEFA Champions League, two in UEFA Europa League
  7. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  8. ^ a b Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
  9. ^ Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, four in UEFA Europa League
  10. ^ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, two in UEFA Europa League

International

[edit]
Defour (left) with Belgian teammates Kevin Mirallas (middle) and Marouane Fellaini before a friendly against the United States on 29 May 2013
Appearances and goals by national team and year[49]
National team Year Apps Goals
Belgium 2006 3 0
2007 9 0
2008 6 1
2009 5 0
2010 4 0
2011 5 0
2012 5 0
2013 5 1
2014 6 0
2016 3 0
2017 1 0
Total 52 2
Scores and results list Belgium's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Defour goal.[49]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 6 September 2008 Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège, Belgium 15  Estonia 2–1 3–2 2010 World Cup qualification
2 6 September 2013 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland 39  Scotland 1–0 2–0 2014 World Cup qualification

Managerial statistics

[edit]
As of match played 31 October 2023[50]
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Mechelen Belgium 17 October 2022 2 November 2023 41 15 9 17 50 62 −12 036.59
Career totals 41 15 9 17 50 62 −12 036.59

Honours

[edit]

Standard Liège

Porto

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2017/18 Premier League clubs publish retained lists". Premier League. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Steven Defour". 11v11. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  3. ^ "Steven Defour a participé à un amical avec Malines" [Steven Defour participated in a friendly with Mechelen] (in French). RTBF. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b Libois, Erik (11 May 2021). "Le petit Steven Defour illustré, en 15 dates-clé" [Little Steven Defour illustrated, in 15 key dates] (in French). RTBF. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  5. ^ Scholten, Berend (23 December 2006). "Defour raises Belgian Standard". UEFA. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Defour 'slachtoffer' van 33 jaar oude vete" [Defour 'victim' of 33-year-old feud]. Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 5 May 2006. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  7. ^ "Transfer Defour naar Ajax van de baan" [Defour's transfer to Ajax not happening] (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 7 June 2006. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  8. ^ "Steven Defour verbreekt contract bij Genk" [Steven Defour breaks contract with Genk]. Het Belang van Limburg (in Dutch). 16 June 2006. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  9. ^ "Standard neemt Steven Defour over" [Standard sign Steven Defour] (in Dutch). Voetbal België. 11 July 2006. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  10. ^ "Conceição praat met Standard" [Conceição in talks with Standard]. De Standaard (in Dutch). 4 January 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  11. ^ a b Toma, Razvan. "Belgium – Player of the Year Awards". RSSSF. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  12. ^ "Defour ready to make next step". ESPN Soccernet. 26 October 2010. Archived from the original on 29 October 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  13. ^ Shaw, Alex (26 October 2010). "Defour ready to make Manchester United move". Talksport. Archived from the original on 29 October 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  14. ^ "Comunicado" [Announcement] (PDF) (in Portuguese). FC Porto. 15 August 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 December 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  15. ^ "Comunicado" [Announcement] (PDF) (in Portuguese). FC Porto. 16 August 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  16. ^ Van Walle, Wim (16 August 2011). "FC Porto deal for Defour". ESPN Soccernet. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  17. ^ "FC Porto cumpriu e goleou Pêro Pinheiro" [FC Porto got job done and routed Pêro Pinheiro]. Público (in Portuguese). 15 October 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  18. ^ "No meio da tempestade, veio a bonança (5–0)" [Amid the storm, came the calm (5–0)]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 23 October 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  19. ^ "Dragão em branco na festa de apresentação" [Dragon drew a blank in presentation party] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 4 August 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  20. ^ Crossan, David (18 September 2012). "Porto extend Dinamo losing streak". UEFA. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  21. ^ Hunter, Graham (13 March 2013). "Santa Cruz sends Málaga into last eight". UEFA. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  22. ^ "Anderlecht's Steven Defour sees red over Standard Liège fans' banner". The Guardian. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  23. ^ "Standard Liege: Steven Defour sent off after fans' horror banner". BBC Sport. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  24. ^ Lustig, Nick (16 August 2016). "Burnley sign Steven Defour from Anderlecht for club-record fee". Sky Sports. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  25. ^ "Steven Defour: Burnley sign Belgium midfielder from Anderlecht". BBC Sport. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  26. ^ Smith, Jamie (20 August 2016). "Keane, Defour and Gray stand out as Burnley stun Liverpool". ESPN FC. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  27. ^ "Defour is cheap as chips – Dyche". BBC Sport. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  28. ^ Marshall, Tyrone (26 December 2017). "Manchester United 2 Burnley 2: Match verdict". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  29. ^ Copeland, Robbie (8 March 2019). "Steven Defour 'unlikely' to return this season after undergoing operation on persistent calf issue". 90 Minut. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  30. ^ Marshall, Tyrone (14 September 2019). "Burnley extend Steven Defour's contract until 2020 as midfielder nears return". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  31. ^ "Steven Defour: Burnley midfielder's contract cancelled 'for personal reasons'". BBC Sport. 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  32. ^ Varewyck, Sam (23 September 2022). "Steven Defour krijgt mooi compliment van Burnley-legende: "Meest getalenteerde speler die ik gecoacht heb"" [Steven Defour earns praise from Burnley legend: "Most talented player I ever coached"]. Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  33. ^ "Antwerp pakt uit met kwartet: Defour, Hoedt, Gano en Benson trekken naar de Bosuil" [Antwerp unveil four: Defour, Hoedt, Gano and Benson go to Bosuil] (in Dutch). Sporza. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  34. ^ "Steven Defour: Ex-Burnley midfielder joins Royal Antwerp". BBC Sport. 3 September 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  35. ^ Brisart, Axel (16 October 2020). "Steven Defour voorgesteld bij KV Mechelen: "Emotioneel de belangrijkste transfer uit mijn carrière"" [Steven Defour presented at KV Mechelen: "Emotionally the most important transfer of my career"]. Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  36. ^ "Afscheid in mineur: Defour stopt er nu al mee door blessure aan quadriceps" [Dramatic goodbye: Defour retires after quadriceps injury]. Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 11 May 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  37. ^ Langendries, Romain (17 October 2022). "Steven Defour devient l'entraîneur du KV Malines suite au licenciement de Danny Buijs" [Steven Defour becomes KV Mechelen manager following dismissal of Danny Buijs] (in French). RTBF. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  38. ^ Jordens, Jérôme (19 October 2022). "Pro League: Malines dompte le Standard et offre une première victoire à Defour" [Pro League: Mechelen tame Standard and offer a first victory to Defour] (in French). RTBF. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  39. ^ Jongmans, Robin (30 April 2023). "Prijs voor Van Bommel in België: trainer wint beker met Nederlands getint Antwerp" [Prize for Van Bommel in Belgium: manager wins cup with Dutch-tinted Antwerp]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  40. ^ "OFFICIEL Defour ne fera pas son retour à Sclessin" [OFFICIAL Defour will not be returning to Sclessin] (in French). Foot News. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  41. ^ "René Vandereycken roept negen debutanten op" [René Vandereycken calls up nine first-timers]. Het Belang van Limburg (in Dutch). 6 May 2006. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  42. ^ "Defour a déjà marqué contre l'Estonie: "Ah bon? J'avais oublié"" [Defour already scored against Estonia: "Ah good? I had forgotten"] (in French). RTBF. 12 November 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  43. ^ Lamont, Alasdair (6 September 2013). "Scotland 0–2 Belgium". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  44. ^ "Belgium World Cup 2014 squad". The Daily Telegraph. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  45. ^ "Koreans crash to ten-man Belgium". FIFA. 26 June 2014. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  46. ^ "Steven Defour (Burnley) prend sa retraite internationale" [Steven Defour (Burnley) retires from internationals]. L'Équipe (in French). 24 May 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  47. ^ Marshall, Tyrone (25 May 2018). "Steven Defour to focus on Burnley after international retirement". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  48. ^ Steven Defour at WorldFootball.net
  49. ^ a b "Steven Defour". European Football. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  50. ^ a b c d e f Steven Defour coach profile at Soccerway
  51. ^ "Homme de la saison belge" [Belgian man of the season] (in French). Football The Story. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
[edit]
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