Following Eden Hazard’s retirement from international football, on Tuesday, Kevin De Bruyne was named Belgium captain by Red Devils coach Domenico Tedesco.
This decision was made as Hazard, who turned 32 in January, ended his Belgium career after last year’s World Cup.
Tedesco, who replaced Roberto Martinez after the tournament, has also added 19-year-olds Zeno Debast and Romeo Lavia to the squad, which was an ageing one.
De Bruyne expressed his gratitude for being named captain and stated that he has never considered international retirement.
Despite being almost 32, he believes he can still contribute to the team and help the young players.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Chelsea attacker Romelu Lukaku will serve as De Bruyne’s vice-captains.
Although De Bruyne received criticism after the Red Devils were eliminated in the group stage in Qatar, he has played 97 games for Belgium, scoring 25 goals, and will make his debut as captain in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Sweden on Friday.
Belgium will also face Austria, Azerbaijan, and Estonia in their quest to qualify for the tournament to be held in Germany next summer.