David Betts was already Standard’s best player on the pitch in Genk. After his debut, the Scottish defender was voted man of the match by the fans. His former team-mate Thibaut Bair had kind words for him.
Thibaut Bair and David Bates met at KV Mechelen. They played eight games together in six months. Although the centre-back now plays for Al-Batin in the Saudi second division, he continues to follow the Jupiler Pro League and especially Malinois closely.
In an exclusive interview with us, he gave his thoughts on his former teammate’s move to Standard. “We’ve been texting each other almost every day since he signed for Standard. When he came to Mechelen, Sandy Walsh and I immediately tried to put him at ease. He’s a nice guy, a jokester who often comes up with funny things.” Funny jokes.
“I knew he wanted to leave when he heard about the interest. That’s how he is, Standard is a big club and he didn’t hesitate. There’s no point in telling him that the current situation at KV Mechelen is better than Standard, he’s not, he wanted to go there from the first minute.”
David Bates, the perfect profile to bolster Standard’s defence
Since the departures of Kostas Laives, Mervel Bokadi and Zinho Vanheusden, Ivan Leko has needed a more experienced defender to lead his backline. In addition, he has also looked for a stronger physical profile to support players like Ebi Hotikket and Bosco Sotalo, who have more technical skills but less physical presence.
“He’s a good player, strong in duels, doesn’t give gifts and can also play football. He’s a really great guy, a boy with a great mentality and works hard. I’m really happy for him, he’s a good player.” He deserves it.
David’s arrival means Standard is doing a good job.
“There is always a need for someone who can guide youngsters and there are plenty of them at Standard. David will be ready to help them and be competitive straight away. He has the perfect profile. I’m delighted because it means Standard are doing a good job and are following Mechelen closely and his British mentality could be good for the youngsters who still need to break through.”
“He will strike the right balance: an experienced player, but not too old, always ready and able to teach youngsters a lot. Standard cannot repeat last season and will strive to achieve sporting results. The key to success is a strong defence and David will help with that.”
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