Leeds United incoming summer transfer explains goalscoring knack and bizarre superstition
Leeds United incoming €6m defender Sebastiaan Bornauw has a goalscoring knack that can be traced back to the early days of a career that began in Morocco.
Though the centre-back, who the YEP exclusively revealed is close to sealing a move to Elland Road and signing a four-year contract, was born in the Flemish region of Belgium, his father's job meant they moved around and after spells in his native country and France, they lived in North Africa. That's where Bornauw took his first steps in the sport.
In 2020 he described how his career began in an interview with Bundesliga.com: "My dad was working in Morocco. I first lived in Belgium, then France, then Morocco because of my dad’s job. I started playing football there at the age of six. That was my first club and I have really good memories of that time. It was always nice weather and I like the country a lot. Then we came back but I’m very positive about that experience.
"I started [playing] in Casablanca then we came back to Brussels, I played one season at the local club around the corner, then I went to Dender in the first division. I then started at Anderlecht, I played in all the age categories including the first team. I played in the first team for one season then I moved to Cologne.”
The Bundesliga is where Bornauw has made his name. He will arrive in English football with the experience of 140 top-flight games in Germany and a not-too-shabby goalscoring record. He scored seven times in 57 games for FC Köln and added a further four for Wolfsburg in 96 appearances. His eye for goal was developed before he made the move back into defence, where he now feels more at home.
"I played as a striker when I was younger," he said. "Maybe that, but I think a little bit of luck as well. When the ball comes to you and you really want to score and take the opportunity. You think this ball is mine and you really go for it then that helps. It’s not my main goal to score but when I can, when I see a corner and it’s well delivered, which it has been this season [2019/20] – big credit to the lads delivering the balls this season – then I think this is my chance.
"Centre back is my favourite position, but I still like to score, that’s still in me. I do prefer centre-back though. It’s more my thing. I get a better view of the whole pitch, that’s more comfortable for me, I like that more.”
Excelling at set-pieces at both ends of the pitch is one of the big drivers in Leeds United's summer recruitment. Bornauw will be the club's second defensive addition after 6ft 4ins Slovenian international Jaka Bijol who is known for his ability to make first contact when the ball is delivered into his team's box. Bornauw sees the importance of being effective at the other end too and at Koln they had the players to do it.
“I don’t really know [why Koln were so good at scoring from set-pieces]," he said in 2020. "I think they take them very well. We train them sometimes but not a lot. I just think we have the players for it. It’s one thing to score, that’s the most important thing from a set piece.”
To help with the little bit of luck he mentioned, Bornauw has a particular superstition that he may bring to Leeds along with a goal threat. "I always wear the same underwear," he revealed. "But I wash it. I have one colour and I always wear the same colour.”