Nathan De Cat
Belgian footballer (born 2008)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nathan De Cat (born 19 July 2008) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Belgian Pro League club Anderlecht and the Belgium national team.
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De Cat with Belgium in 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nathan De Cat[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 19 July 2008 | ||
| Place of birth | Vilvoorde, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Anderlecht | ||
| Number | 74 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2024 | Anderlecht | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024– | RSCA Futures | 33 | (3) |
| 2025– | Anderlecht | 36 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023 | Belgium U15 | 4 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | Belgium U17 | 10 | (2) |
| 2025– | Belgium U18 | 2 | (1) |
| 2024– | Belgium U19 | 4 | (0) |
| 2026– | Belgium | 1 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 6 April 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 29 March 2026 | |||
Club career
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De Cat is a youth product of Anderlecht having joined them at age 10, and he signed his first professional contract with them in October 2023, valid until June 2025.[2] He made his professional debut on 22 February 2024, in a 0–1 Challenger Pro League away win against SL16 FC.[3] On 27 August 2024, De Cat extended his contract with Anderlecht until 2027, and was promoted to the senior squad.[4]
On 20 February 2025, he made his first team debut for Anderlecht in UEFA Europa League knockout game against Fenerbahçe, coming on as a substitute. He is one of the youngest debutants for Anderlecht at 16 years, 7 months and 1 day.[5]
He made his professional league debut as a 1 minute substitute vs Racing Genk on 6 April in a Jupiler Pro League Champions’ Playoffs match, coming on in the 90th minute.
On 1 May 2025, he scored his first goal for RSC Anderlecht against Royal Antwerp FC in a Jupiler Pro League Champions’ playoffs match, after coming on as a substitute for Majeed Ashimeru.[6]
International career
De Cat is a youth international for Belgium. He was part of the Belgian U17 team who reached the semi-finals of the 2025 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, where he was named in the Team of the Tournament.[7]
Style of play
De Cat was included in The Guardian's "Next Generation 2025: 60 of the best young talents in world football", where he was described as a "towering midfielder", and further "He is a fighter, but loves dribbling too".[8]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 6 April 2026
| Club | Season | League | Belgian Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| RSCA Futures | 2023–24 | Challenger Pro League | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| 2024–25 | Challenger Pro League | 23 | 3 | — | — | — | 23 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 33 | 3 | — | — | — | 33 | 3 | |||||
| Anderlecht | 2024–25 | Belgian Pro League | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | |
| 2025–26 | Belgian Pro League | 30 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5[b] | 0 | — | 39 | 3 | ||
| Total | 36 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 46 | 4 | |||
| Career total | 69 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 7 | ||
- Appearance in UEFA Europa League
- One appearance in UEFA Europa League, four appearances in UEFA Conference League
Honours
Individual
- UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2025[9]
- Belgian Promise of the Year: 2025[10]
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