Only three minutes with the first team for Duranville since his return from injury; just three meager climbs in the game for Vermeeren. “You have to remain patientpositive Duranville, who, unlike Vermeeren, must currently focus on his physical performances as a priority. I'm coming back from an injury, so you have to be careful. But in all cases, we have to trust each other and the rest will come because we are still young.”
The other difference is the degree of adaptation. Arriving in January 2023 in Dortmund, Duranville is already twelve months ahead of Vermeeren despite his repeated injuries which prevented him from appearing on the pitch. The former Anderlecht player already knows the locker room, the city, his environment well and has been taking German lessons for many months. Vermeeren, more introverted by nature, has not yet digested the enormous cultural and footballing shock between Antwerp and Atletico Madrid.
You have to trust yourself and the rest will come.
If Duranville's apprenticeship also continues with the BVB U19s (it was again decisive this weekend), Vermeeren is also focusing solely on the A team, where the competition is enormous. Particularly with Rodrigo De Paul and Marcos Llorente, two very physical profiles capable of deploying a huge amount of intensity. The Antwerp player has proven with the Red Devils that he also has a big engine, but the gap with his teammates is still too big.
For the 17-year-old winger and the 19-year-old midfielder, the end of the season should not mark any real change. There is no doubt, however, that their importance will grow from next summer. Remember that big clubs generally recruit such young people knowing full well that it will take 6 to 12 months to prepare them.
