Latest news with #KVMechelen
Morocco World
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
Morocco Starlet Zekri Signs Professional Deal with KV Mechelen
Morocco U17 international Moncef Zekri has signed his first professional contract with Belgian side KV Mechelen, committing to the club until 2028. The 16-year-old full-back has attracted interest from several European clubs following a breakthrough season that included two senior appearances in the Belgian top flight. Dutch side Ajax had shown interest but reportedly offered a place in their reserve squad – an option Zekri declined in favor of continuing his development in Mechelen's first team. View this post on Instagram A post shared by KV Mechelen (@kvmechelen) The club moved quickly to secure the teenager's future, announcing the deal this week after what it described as 'serious interest from abroad.' U17 AFCON success Zekri played a key role in Morocco's successful 2025 U17 Africa Cup of Nations campaign. He started every match in the competition and was part of the side that defeated Mali in a penalty shootout in the final. He was later named in CAF's Best XI of the tournament. Born in Brussels, Zekri has represented Morocco at U17 level 12 times and is widely regarded as one of the country's most promising left-backs. He is yet to feature for the senior national team. First-team breakthrough Zekri was promoted to KV Mechelen's senior squad late in the 2024-25 season due to injuries in the first team. He made his professional debut against Standard Liège before earning a starting place the following week in the club's final home match of the season. Coaches at Mechelen have praised his work rate, tactical awareness, and versatility – qualities that have led to comparisons with modern wing-backs. Zekri is expected to be part of the first-team setup for the 2025–26 campaign. Tags: afconAjax AmsterdamKV MechelenMoncef ZekriMorocco
Glasgow Times
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Stephen Welsh makes Celtic claim ahead of summer return
The 25-year-old central defender joined Belgian side KV Mechelen on a short-term loan in January but is set to return to the east end of Glasgow this summer. Welsh has become a regular in the team as the Belgian season draws to a close and believes his experience in Belgium will benefit him when he returns to the Scottish champions. Read more: Welsh said [Record]: "100 per cent, I will go back to Celtic as a better player. "Tactically, technically I am better and I am also a lot fitter with the regular game time and being up to speed playing every week. "I will also be going back much improved having played regularly in one of Europe's top leagues. "Whatever happens I am going back as a better player and person. "I have also matured a lot, living away from and outside of Glasgow. "It has been good going to a club where I know if I do well I will play. "It has given me a lot of confidence to go out and play and show I can be an important member of a team." Welsh has just over two years remaining on his Celtic contract. He only played for Brendan Rodgers' side twice this campaign before he departed on loan. "We will see what happens in the summer. "I will obviously go back to Celtic," he said. "I have two years left and so the plan is to go back to Celtic. "I will go back to pre-season and see what happens from there on."
The National
01-05-2025
- Sport
- The National
Stephen Welsh makes Celtic promise ahead of loan return
The central defender joined Belgian top-flight outfit KV Mechelen on a short-term loan deal until the end of the season. The 25-year-old has since established himself as a regular in the team as the season comes to a close. Read more: Welsh thinks his loan will only serve him well when he returns to Glasgow's east end this summer: "100 per cent, I will go back to Celtic as a better player," he said [Record]. "Tactically, technically I am better and I am also a lot fitter with the regular game time and being up to speed playing every week. "I will also be going back much improved having played regularly in one of Europe's top leagues. "Whatever happens I am going back as a better player and person. I have also matured a lot, living away from and outside of Glasgow. "It has been good going to a club where I know if I do well I will play. "It has given me a lot of confidence to go out and play and show I can be an important member of a team.' Welsh has just over two years remaining on his Celtic contract. He only played for Brendan Rodgers' side twice this campaign before he departed on loan. "We will see what happens in the summer, I will obviously go back to Celtic," he said. "I have two years left and so the plan is to go back to Celtic. I will go back to pre-season and see what happens from there on. "I have spoken to Darren O'Dea and John Kennedy a few times, asking me how I am getting on. I just like to get my head down and get on with it, as I have done throughout my career."
Daily Record
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Stephen Welsh tells Celtic they're getting an upgrade as matches in Belgium trump medals in Glasgow for now
Welsh has established himself as a regular at KV Mechelen and insists heading out on loan is the best thing he's ever done Stephen Welsh is in no doubt he will be returning to Celtic a far better player this summer. The young defender is currently benefiting from a fruitful loan at KV Mechelen. Welsh might have missed out on the Hoops' 55th title clincher at the weekend but he did hit his own personal ton. He made his 100th senior appearance in the 2-2 draw at Westerlo and it was all part of his grand masterplan to get games when he asked Brendan Rodgers to go out on loan in the January window. Welsh, speaking in an exclusive interview with Record Sport, said: '100% I will go back to Celtic as a better player. 'Tactically, technically I am better and I am also a lot fitter with the regular game time and being up to speed playing every week. 'I will also be going back much improved having played regularly in one of Europe's top leagues. 'Whatever happens I am going back as a better player and person. I have also matured a lot, living away from and outside of Glasgow. 'It has been good going to a club where I know if I do well I will play. 'It has given me a lot of confidence to go out and play and show I can be an important member of a team.' Mechelen and the talented 25-year-old still have four games of the season left. There is still an outside chance they could pip Charleroi to a Europa Conference League place. Welsh is not looking beyond that or what might be next season. He admitted: 'I am just thinking about these last four games and playing as well as I can. 'We will probably need to win them all if we want to finish top of our section and to qualify for Europe. 'We will see what happens in the summer. I will obviously go back to Celtic. 'I have two years left and so the plan is to go back to Celtic. I will go back to pre-season and see what happens from there on. 'I have spoken to Darren O'Dea and John Kennedy a few times, asking me how I am getting on. I just like to get my head down and get on with it, as I have done throughout my career.' Welsh might have missed out on a league and Premier Sports Cup double and potentially a treble, but Welsh knew at this stage of his career he needed regular game time. It helped that Mechelen had been long-term admirers and had been chasing him since the summer. Welsh stated: 'I have loved every minute of it. I think it is the best thing I have done, it is almost like a refresh for six months to go and play football at a top level. 'I wanted to go out on loan a couple of months before January. I had it in my head that if I wasn't going to play at Celtic then I needed to go and play elsewhere. 'Mechelen actually came in for me in the summer and Celtic knocked it back. So, I knew there was an interest and they were still looking for a centre half when I became available.' Welsh knew the quality of the Belgian Pro League when he watched Celtic take on Club Brugge in the Champions League from the bench. He stated: 'I was a no-brainer for me because the Belgian league is a top league. We also played Club Brugge in the Champions League and they were unbelievable. 'It is not until you play here that you see the quality. The level has been even higher than I thought it would be, coming up against some top teams and players. 'I think in the first few games we played the top four teams in the league and that is where I immediately saw what I was coming into.' Welsh joked that he felt very much at home when he made his debut in Mechelen. They also take to the field to a Celtic anthem at the AFAS Stadium He said: 'You'll Never Walk Alone, we sing that before games. I didn't know that. 'I was standing in the tunnel for our first home game and it came on. 'I was bizarre but I think a few teams across Europe now play that as well. 'We also have: 'You'll never work alone' across the stadium but that is down to one of our sponsors.' It hasn't been all plain sailing at KV Mechelen. Frederik Vanderbiest stepped up to replace Besnik Hasi as manager in March. It has worked in Welsh's favour as he has played regularly. 'The style of play is really good and we play good football,' the Celtic academy graduate claimed. 'I saw we had real quality players and we just needed someone to make us click as a team. 'The manager found a system to get the best out of the players and we went on a run. 'The highlight for me is that I have started the last seven games in a row now. The reason why I came here was to play as many games as I can. 'It was my 100th game on Saturday. I would have liked to have done it earlier but, as a centre half, you can play until your late 30s, so hopefully I will have plenty of years ahead of me. 'I'm sure I will have plenty more centuries to come.' Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
Glasgow Times
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
John Hartson sends Celtic duo transfer message
The pair have managed only six appearances between them this season. Despite a decent showing against Rangers over a month ago, Nawrocki remains on the fringes of Brendan Rodgers' squad, while Welsh is on loan at KV Mechelen in the Belgian Pro League. Read more: Hartson said [Go Radio]: "Welsh, I think, is up against it, because of some of the other centre-backs. "But the good thing for Celtic is that they have two or three options for every position, so they can mix the team up quite regularly." He thinks the competition at centre-back is too stiff for Welsh to feature regularly. Hartson added: "For me, the ones who are on the fringes, and aren't playing every single weekend, don't ever look like they are ever going to be regulars. "You have got to look to move them on, not just for Celtic, but for their careers as well." On Nawrocki, Hartson said: "He came in and I think he has played one game since that. "It's about playing, being involved, and making an impact on the team, in some way or another. "If I am out in the cold, I want to go. "Why would I want to stay somewhere where I am not playing every week?" Hartson suggests both players should consider their future at Celtic if they want regular game time.
