Kompany’s star shines the more a he’s called for national duty

Manchester City outgoing captain, Vincent Kompany has been recalled by Belgium coach Roberto Martinez for their Euro 2020 qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Scotland barely a week he announced his exit from the two times in a row Premier League winners.

The 33-year-old announced over the weekend that he is leaving Manchester City to rejoin Anderlecht as player-manager and has not played for Belgium since November 2018 but was a regular at City clinched a historic domestic treble.

Recalling him back to the squad, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said: “He will be selected on his merit as a player, not as a coach. He will do everything to get to Euro 2020.”

The Red Devils of Belgium will play Kazakhstan on Saturday, 8 June, before facing Scotland three days later, with both matches taking place in Brussels.

Kompany came through the youth ranks at Anderlecht before leaving for Hamburg in 2006 and will return on a three-year deal this summer to the club that brought him up from the age of six.

“In modern football, it is not easy to combine the job of player and coach,” Martinez added.”In England, they have a tradition of that but less and less because the job of a coach has become enormously demanding.”We must give him time. We will support him in everything he does,” he said.

Man City team-mate Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea, striker Eden Hazard and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Axel Witsel also return after missing the qualifying win over Russia and Cyprus in March, which put Belgium top of Group I.

Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen has been named in the 28-man squad despite nursing an ankle problem before the Champions League final against Liverpool on Saturday, 1 June but is expected to be fit to ply by then.

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