Jelle Van Neck
The Belgian giant growing in the shadow of the Velodrome. A bet on the future, a promise of greatness.
Jelle Van Neck is an investment. Signed young from Club Brugge with a long-term contract until 2027, he embodies the club's long-term vision. He is the future. For now, his name is mostly associated with an iconic moment that speaks volumes about his character: that last-minute header goal in the UEFA Youth League to salvage a draw. This gesture is not insignificant. It's the mark of a player who has the will to win, a quality that resonates particularly strongly with the people of Marseille.
Currently, he is honing his skills with the reserve team in National 3, where he accumulates valuable playing time for his development. To be honest: it's a work in progress. He has the raw attributes to succeed at the highest level: an impressive physique (1.91 m), undeniable potential in the art of goalkeeping, and international status in all youth categories in Belgium.
Our role, as supporters, is to be patient. The message must be clear: let him grow. The pressure on his shoulders is not to perform with the first team today, but to dominate with the reserves, to continue learning and refining himself. Impatience would be his worst enemy.
His short-term future is to establish himself as the leader of the B team, before perhaps gaining experience through a loan in a higher division. The ultimate goal is for him to become, in a few years, a credible candidate for the number 1 position. His work focus is dual: continue to perfect his goalkeeping technique and, above all, develop the tactical intelligence essential to evolve in a system as complex as De Zerbi's. He has the physique; he now needs to forge the intellect. If we know how to wait for him, we might just have a future great on our hands.