KV Mechelen has gold in hand with Redouane Halhal, the 23-year-old defender who had a strong season and made his debut for Morocco. Halhal came through the youth ranks of Atlético Madrid and was signed by Helmond Sport, where he had a less successful stint. He returned to KV Mechelen, where he immediately secured a starting spot and had a strong season. According to Robert Maaskant, the Dutch coach who managed Halhal at Helmond Sport last season, the problem in the Netherlands was not with his abilities, but rather with the circumstances. "When I arrived, I felt that something was broken", he explains. "There was a negative atmosphere around him. He barely spoke English and lost touch with the team. Too much attention was paid to what he couldn't do." Dirk Jan Derksen, former head scout of Helmond Sport and current technical manager, also confirms this view. According to him, Halhal lacked challenge. "He was accustomed to the environment and competition", he says. "At KV Mechelen, he immediately started and proved that he could handle this level." The praise is now loud. Maaskant even sees similarities with a world-class player he coached earlier. "I've trained Virgil van Dijk", he concludes. "Van Dijk may have a better shot, but physically, they're not far apart at that age."