Christiaan Ravych

Not every young Belgian defender needs a fairy tale to get noticed — sometimes a supporters' vote does the job. At Cercle Brugge, the club's fan association named Christiaan Ravych Player of the Season in its "Pop-Poll".

Ravych's path there was unusual in its own right: he spent his entire youth career at Club Brugge before moving across the city to Cercle on a free transfer in July 2021. The move was not an immediate breakthrough — he signed a semi-professional contract that December, later extended, and had to wait until 30 July 2022 to make his professional debut, against Anderlecht. From there he became a fixture at the back, making 117 league appearances and 139 in all competitions, with two goals to his name.

That growth caught the eye of KRC Genk, who signed him in September 2024 for a fixed fee of €4 million on a four-year contract running to the summer of 2030.

Internationally, Ravych has moved steadily through Belgium's youth ranks: three caps and a goal for the under-17s in 2019, followed by single appearances for the under-20s in 2022 and the under-21s in 2024.