 Dendoncker withAnderlecht in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leander Dendoncker[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1995-04-15)15 April 1995 (age 30)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Passendale, Belgium | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[3] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder,centre-back | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Real Oviedo | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 20 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | FC Passendale | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2009 | Roeselare | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Anderlecht | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2019 | Anderlecht | 125 | (9) | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | →Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) | 19 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2022 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 105 | (7) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2025 | Aston Villa | 28 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024 | →Napoli (loan) | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | →Anderlecht (loan) | 30 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Real Oviedo | 11 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Belgium U16 | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Belgium U17 | 8 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Belgium U19 | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Belgium U21 | 5 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2023 | Belgium | 32 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11 November 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Leander Dendoncker (born 15 April 1995) is a Belgian professionalfootballer who plays as adefensive midfielder orcentre-back forLa Liga clubReal Oviedo.
Dendoncker joinedAnderlecht in 2009 and made his professional debut in July 2013, going on to play 171 matches and score eleven goals for the club as well as winning twoBelgian Super Cups and aBelgian Pro League title. In 2018, he signed forWolverhampton Wanderers on loan, before transferring permanently for €15 million. After making 159 appearances and scoring twelve goals for the club, Dendoncker moved to fellowPremier League sideAston Villa in September 2022 for an undisclosed fee. He was loaned toSerie A clubNapoli and to Anderlecht in 2024. He then joined Spanish club Real Oviedo permanently in August 2025.
Having represented Belgium at youth and senior level, Dendoncker made his senior international debut forBelgium in June 2015. He was part of their squad that finished third at the2018 FIFA World Cup, also featuring atUEFA Euro 2020 and the2022 World Cup.
Dendoncker transferred fromK.S.V. Roeselare toR.S.C. Anderlecht in 2009, choosing that club ahead ofStandard Liège,Club Brugge andK.R.C. Genk.[4] After performances for the youth team in theNextGen Series and a training camp in Turkey, he was incorporated into the first team in January 2013.[4] He said at the time that he modelled his game on that of the Spanish midfielderSergio Busquets.[4]
He made his professional debut on 21 July in the2013 Belgian Super Cup, replacingDennis Praet for the final nine minutes of the 1–0 win over Genk at theConstant Vanden Stock Stadium.[5] On 26 September, he extended his contract until 2016.[6]
However, it was not until 1 August 2014 that he debuted in theBelgian Pro League, on the first day of the season away toKV Oostende.[7] After scoring his first professional goal on 18 January 2015 in a 3–0 win atLierse S.K., Dendoncker was praised by former Anderlecht playerPaul Van Himst, who said that there was no better player at his position in the club.[8] He played six matches in the2014–15 Belgian Cup, which his team lost 2–1 in the final to Brugge.[9]
Anderlecht won the2016–17 Belgian First Division A.[10] Dendoncker scored five goals along the way, including two on 18 December in a 4–0 home win overK.A.S. Eupen.[11] He also played all 16 games in their European campaign that season, which ended with elimination by eventual winnersManchester United in the quarter-finals of theUEFA Europa League. In the first leg of that tie on 13 April 2017, he scored a late equaliser in a 1–1 draw.[12]
On 9 August 2018, Dendoncker moved to newly promoted EnglishPremier League clubWolverhampton Wanderers on an initial season-long loan with an obligation on Wolves to make the player a permanent Wolves signing in summer 2019.[13] He made his debut on 28 August in the second round of theEFL Cup away toSheffield Wednesday (2–0 victory), with coachNuno Espírito Santo making nine changes from the previous game.[14] In late September,The Football Association rejected the obligatory purchase clause in Dendoncker's Wolves contract and made his deal permanent for €15 million.[15]
He finally made a league appearance on 5 December in a 2–1 win againstChelsea, playing the final nine minutes in place of goalscorerRaúl Jiménez,[16] and scored his first Premier League goal on his sixth appearance in the competition, in a 1–3 win atEverton on 2 February 2019.[17]
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Dendoncker committed a foul in the Wolves penalty area with just 180 seconds remaining of their April 2019FA Cup semi-final withWatford while leading 2–1, thereby conceded the penalty that enabled the opponents to draw the game and then win in extra time.[18] On 4 May he scored the only goal of a home win overFulham, which enabled Wolves to make the Europa League as a result of Watford losing the cup final.[19][20]
Dendoncker became a permanent Wolves signing on 1 July 2019, his original loan agreement having included an obligation on the club to sign him permanently at the end of the original season-long loan period.[21] Following the introduction ofVideo Assistant Referees (VAR) by the Premier League for the2019–20 season,[22] he was the first Wolves player to have a 'goal' ruled out using VAR in a league match during Wolves' opening fixture away toLeicester City on 11 August.[23]
On 14 December 2020, it was announced by Wolverhampton Wanderers that Dendoncker had extended his contract with the club until 2023, with an option of a further twelve months available to the club.[24][25] He made his 100th competitive appearance for the club in anFA Cup 4th Round tie away to non-leagueChorley the following 22 January, a game Wolves won 1–0.[26] He scored his first goal of the2020–21 season at home toWest Ham United in a 3–2 loss on 5 April 2021.[27] He scored his first goal in the2021–22 Premier League season in 2–0 win away toTottenham Hotspur on 13 February 2022.[28]
On 1 September 2022, 27-year-old Dendoncker moved to fellowWest Midlands-based Premier League clubAston Villa for a fee of around £13 million.[29] He made his debut 15 days later, as a 67th-minute substitute forJacob Ramsey in a 1–0 home victory overSouthampton.[30] He was mainly used as a substitute in his first season, and missed out on games altogether, and managerUnai Emery said that it was because of "a problem at home"; he was absent from all of March 2023 with a hand injury.[31]
Dendoncker scored his first goal for Aston Villa on 26 December 2023, his team's second in a 3–2 defeat atOld Trafford againstManchester United.[32]
On 26 January 2024, Dendoncker was sent toSerie A clubNapoli on loan until the end of the season, with the option to buy for around £8 million at the end of the loan.[33] He made his Napoli debut two days later in a 0–0 draw atLazio.[34] On 30 June 2024, Napoli confirmed that they would not be taking up the option to sign Dendoncker permanently and he would be returning to Aston Villa.[35]
On 31 August 2024, Dendoncker returned to Anderlecht on loan until the end of the season.[36] Both clubs agreed on a purchase option, but the amount is undisclosed.[37] At the end of his loan, the Belgian club decided not to act on the purchase option and Dendoncker returned to Aston Villa.[38]
On 19 August 2025, Dendoncker signed for newly-promotedLa Liga clubReal Oviedo for an undisclosed fee.[39] Despite the official statement on the transfer stating there was an undisclosed fee, media reported that it was actually a free transfer with Aston Villa keen to rid themselves of Dendoncker's wages.[40][38]
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At the age of 20 on 22 May 2015, Dendoncker received his first call-up to theBelgium national football team by coachMarc Wilmots, along with his Anderlecht teammateYouri Tielemans.[41] He made his debut on 7 June in an away friendly match againstFrance, replacingJason Denayer for the final five minutes of a 4–3 victory.[42]
On 4 June 2018, coachRoberto Martínez named Dendoncker in Belgium's 23-man squad for the2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[43] He made his tournament debut on 29 June in a 1–0 victory against England at theKaliningrad Stadium, with both teams fielding unfamiliar teams having already advanced to the last 16.[44]
Dendoncker was called up by Martínez forUEFA Euro 2020 in May 2021.[45] After starting the first two matches, he was replaced for the rest of the tournament for the quarter-finalists onceAxel Witsel recovered from injury.[46]
On 8 June 2022, Dendoncker scored his first international goal in a 6–1 home victory againstPoland in theNations League.[47] At the2022 FIFA World Cup, he started Belgium's opening match againstCanada in a three-man defence alongside veteransJan Vertonghen andToby Alderweireld in a 1–0 victory.[48] Dendoncker was dropped out in a 2–0 defeat againstMorocco.[49] He returned to the starting line-up in a goalless draw againstCroatia, which led the Belgians to be eliminated from the group stage.[50]
Dendoncker was born inPassendale,West Flanders, topig farming parents.[4] He is the middle of three footballing sons: younger brotherLars was on the books ofClub Brugge KV before moving toBrighton & Hove Albion in 2020, while older Andres played local football and became anagent for his siblings.[51][52] Lars Dendoncker retired at age 22 in 2023, due to a heart condition.[53]
Dendoncker moved to Brussels to play for Anderlecht while in their under-15 team and suffered from homesickness while adjusting to the difference between a largely white rural setting and a diverse urban environment.[54] He attended the Sint-Guido-Instituut school inAnderlecht at the time that it was being filmed for the fly-on-the-wall documentaryDe School van Lukaku (Lukaku's School) focusing on his teammateRomelu Lukaku.[54]
Dendoncker speaks four languages fluently; English, French, Spanish and Dutch. He has noted that he speaks inWest Flemish to his family, but theBrabantian dialect when doing interviews for Anderlecht.[54]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Anderlecht | 2013–14[55] | Belgian Pro League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2014–15[55] | 26 | 2 | 6 | 0 | — | 6[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 2 | |||
| 2015–16[55] | 23 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 6[e] | 0 | — | 30 | 2 | ||||
| 2016–17[55] | 40 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 16[f] | 1 | — | 57 | 6 | ||||
| 2017–18[55] | 36 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 6[g] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 1 | |||
| Total | 125 | 9 | 11 | 1 | — | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 171 | 11 | |||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) | 2018–19[56] | Premier League | 19 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 2 | ||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2019–20[57] | 38 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17[e] | 2 | — | 57 | 6 | ||
| 2020–21[58] | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 1 | ||||
| 2021–22[59] | 30 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 34 | 3 | ||||
| 2022–23[60] | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Wolves total | 124 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 2 | — | 159 | 12 | |||
| Aston Villa | 2022–23[60] | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24[61] | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5[h] | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | |||
| 2024–25[62] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 36 | 1 | |||
| Napoli (loan) | 2023–24[61] | Serie A | 3 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Anderlecht (loan) | 2024–25[62] | Belgian Pro League | 30 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | 8[e] | 0 | — | 43 | 3 | ||
| Oviedo | 2025–26[63] | La Liga | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 322 | 22 | 30 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 60 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 424 | 28 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 2015 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 32 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 June 2022 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium | 27 |  Poland | 5–1 | 6–1 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
Anderlecht
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