Youri Tielemans brings a tremendous amount of experience and quality to Aston Villa.
The 26-year-old has played in all of the major European competitions during over 500 career appearances (both international and domestic).
Here are five things to know about our newest Villan…
He burst on to the scene aged 16
Tielemans came through the ranks at Anderlecht in his homeland, signing a professional contract at 16. His senior debut followed swiftly and he became the fourth-youngest player in Belgian Pro League history when he came on against Lokeren in July 2013 aged 16 years and 82 days.
Less than three months later he became the youngest Belgian to play in the Champions League, aged 16 years and 148 days when he started against Olympiacos. He went on to play 29 league games as Anderlecht won the title that season.
He’s got European experience
After making his first European appearance so early on in his career, the midfielder has continued to be at home in the biggest club competitions. Upon arrival at Villa, Tielemans had played 66 times across the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
Most recently, he helped Leicester City reach the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League in 2022 before they were defeated by eventual winners Roma.
He’s delivered on the big stage
In addition to his European exploits above, Tielemans has been a consistent contributor during his four-year stay at Leicester City. He finished with a tally of 195 appearances, 28 goals and 26 assists for the Foxes.
And his finest moment for the club came in the FA Cup final in 2021, where he struck a stunning long-range winner to beat Chelsea. Tielemans played every minute of the run to the Wembley final, scoring three times and notching two assists.
He’s racked up the awards
Since picking up a league winners' medal in his first season as a pro, Tielemans has consistently won collective and individual accolades. He’s won two Belgian Cups to go along with two league titles in his homeland, while also picking up FA Cup and Community Shield winners' medals.
The playmaker has been named Belgian Young Footballer of the Year twice, Belgian Footballer of the Year once and he also did the double at Leicester’s 2022 player awards, winning both Players’ Player and Supporters’ Player of the Season.
He’s a key player on the international stage
Tielemans was handed his Belgium debut in November 2016, coming on for the final six minutes against the Netherlands. He’s since established himself as a vital part of the national team, winning 60 caps.
He’s made seven appearances for the Red Devils across two World Cups, helping his country reach the semi-finals of the tournament in 2018 as well as the quarter-finals of Euro 2020.
