Season › 2017-18 › News
Anderlecht reject Onyekuru claims as striker looks for loan elsewhere
RSC Anderlecht have responded to accusations made by Henry Onyekuru and certain observers in his native Nigeria that they deliberately withheld him from their team in recent weeks.
The 20-year-old was signed by Everton in a £6.8m deal from KAS Eupen last summer and immediately loaned to Anderlecht for the season where it was hoped he could continue his promising career in Belgium and attract the attention of Nigeria when it came to naming their squad for this summer's World Cup.
He scored nine goals in 19 games but was then struck down by a serious knee injury, only returning to fitness in the latter stages of the season. He was not selected by Anderlecht, a decision he believes was taken by head coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck to keep him out of the reckoning for Russia 2018.
Onyekuru hoped that by being selected by his country, he could earn the required number of caps to qualify for a work permit to play in the English Premier League starting in 2018-19.
“Anderlecht knew I needed the World Cup to get a work permit to play in England, ” he said, “and by not making me play, the chances of going to Russia were nil, and so I could not join the Premier League.
“That may be how Anderlecht hopes to keep me for another year — a ridiculous reasoning; I can go anywhere.”
Following suggestions from Anderlecht staff that Onyekuru looked tentative on his knee in training and unready for first-team action, the Belgian giants issued a statement refuting the forward's claims.
“Henry is a great player and his injury in December weakened the squad and reduced the chances to participate to the World Cup with his country,” a club spokesman said.
“RSC Anderlecht, nor the technical staff never made any promise to Henry concerning his selection.
“RSCA is a professional club and it wouldn't be very professional to make promises to players. The coach selects the best and fittest players for the games.”
Despite those assertions and the fact that Everton have an agreement with Anderlecht for him to return there on loan next season, Onyekuru appears to have made up his mind that he will be playing his football elsewhere.
He has already explored a season-long loan opportunity with Borussia Moenchengladbach, although it doesn't appear as though anything has been agreed on that score.
'I was fit, but I did not play,” Onyekuru explained. “So I'm not staying with Anderlecht. He (Vanhaezebrouck) has not spoken to me for weeks. I know what he said about me.
“Thanks to the media, I had to learn that I was not ready, so to speak. I have worked very hard in the last few months to come back. This was not enough for some.”
Reader Comments (22)
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2 Posted 30/05/2018 at 08:06:32
3 Posted 30/05/2018 at 09:31:05
Then again, so did Mirallas...
4 Posted 30/05/2018 at 10:24:47
5 Posted 30/05/2018 at 10:55:35
6 Posted 30/05/2018 at 12:01:31
7 Posted 30/05/2018 at 12:50:17
8 Posted 30/05/2018 at 12:54:51
What the hell is going on with such merry-go-rounds, with players signing then never playing or us? I have doubts over whether this guy ever will.
Too much money swilling round and too many dodgy deals like this – but heaven forbid anyone should question why, or dare to do something about it.
This game of ours is rotten to the core, and everyone turns a blind eye.
9 Posted 30/05/2018 at 13:12:28
I assume the situation will be worse after Brexit as Europeans will have the same status as Henry and other non-Europeans, unless a whole new set of rules are drafted. Players like Kante, with no French caps playing in France, would not qualify for a work permit post Brexit under the current work permit rules.
It's a toss-up as to whether there's any truth in this. Were Anderlecht looking out for his health and welfare by not playing him or concerned that he might qualify for a permit and return to Everton next season if played and selected for the World Cup?
10 Posted 30/05/2018 at 13:16:54
I would hope someone from the club was monitoring the lad's situation closely and we are able to make up our own minds as to whether he was deliberately under-used after recovering from his injury.
If he was held back, then his reaction isn't at all prima donna-ish.
11 Posted 30/05/2018 at 13:23:01
I don't know if serious injury counts as extenuating circumstances but I guess the lawyers have already looked into that one.
12 Posted 30/05/2018 at 13:51:30
Another cock-up to add to the Sandro, Klaassen list.
13 Posted 30/05/2018 at 14:39:30
I wonder if Brands and the new manager will be allowed to stay after Brexit. Hopefully Brands improves the youth team massively in the next 12 months.
If the Everton luck (or lack of) has anything to do with it we'll be begging Sam and or Moyes to come back to sort us out.
I'll put it down to his agent, his frustration, self-confidence and a bit of lost in translation but, until his future is sorted, why disrespect the only opportunity currently available. Get new club, thank new club, then 'compare' clubs.
14 Posted 30/05/2018 at 15:01:40
Football is a massive entertainment business surely pressure could be brought on our own government to allow non-European players to automatically be granted a temporary work permit as would be granted to entertainers from Russia like The Bolshoi Ballet. If drama queen Henry doesn't have Euro status, how come he can ply his trade at Anderlecht and whine about it so publicly?
Incidentally Steve Walsh whilst out of his depth as DOF made some good young signings. It's a bit disingenuous to say Klaassen was such a great failure when he was perhaps the least to blame for our painful last season because he was never given a fair shot of actually playing. I think Klaassen and Sandro may yet come good.
15 Posted 30/05/2018 at 15:39:40
Last autumn, he defended his decision to move Henry from his preferred striker position to the wing by saying, “He was lost in that top position and did not know how to ask for the ball. That's why I sent him back to the flanks.†Then in December, right before the injury, he told a press conference that Henry "always let himself down."
Last week was the worst, when he insisted it wasn't Anderlecht's fault that Henry will miss the World Cup. "Everyone sees that he is not ready to play – he is afraid of the duels – and then I cannot pick him to please him. By the way, Henry still has a lot to prove with the national team. He was not a fixed value for his injury either, hey?"
Ouch.
Also, HLN reported Henry missed training last week as he was in talks with Borussia Monchengladbach, but Vanhaezebrouck implied Henry had falsely claimed to be sick.
I'd still love to see this kid play for us – he's an exciting talent with lighting pace – but I wouldn't be surprised to see him sold on for profit this summer.
16 Posted 30/05/2018 at 15:40:31
17 Posted 31/05/2018 at 02:05:06
Regarding the new manager, he is a bit of a knob, Anderlecht changed their manager. Everything was going fine for Henry then later he got injured, was looking good for 18 for the season! Doesn't sound he wants to stay and it does sound that Anderlecht had their motives!
18 Posted 31/05/2018 at 12:22:14
I presume the UK has different work permit rules/laws to the rest of Europe despite Brexit not yet taking place, hence the issue with Henry joining a Belgian club and not EFC?
I knew I shouldn't have asked that question!
19 Posted 31/05/2018 at 12:28:35
In the UK you need to wait five years before you can apply for UK citizenship, Belgium is 3 years. Henry has done 2. It was hoped he'd get a work permit and if not he'd get a passport next summer.
In terms of Work Permit rules, again member clubs set their own. Some countries make footballers eligible for a work permit automatically but then restrict the number of non-EU players. The UK, as always, has the some of the toughest rules.
The Premier League must be crapping themselves over what happens after Brexit.
20 Posted 31/05/2018 at 13:17:50
You make a good point with regards to the Premier League after Brexit yet it's never a subject under discussion – at least not openly.
21 Posted 01/06/2018 at 16:57:21
22 Posted 12/06/2018 at 05:46:39
“One thing I can tell you for sure is that I won't be playing in Belgium next season” the 20-year-old forward told CSN exclusively.
“There are offers from top clubs in Germany, Spain and in England but that depends on my work permit, we know how difficult that is.â€
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1 Posted 30/05/2018 at 07:18:50