Things are moving fast for Bilal El Khannouss. At the end of last season, the young Moroccan made his debut in the Genk first team. Under the direction of Wouter Vrancken, he has completely exploded this season. Half a year after his debut, the Moroccan star has played in the World Cup with Morocco and, at the Golden Shoe gala, he was chosen as the best young player in Belgium for 2022.
Last weekend against Seraing he showed his unadulterated class once again with his uninhibited style, some beautiful passes, brilliant dribbles and, to top it off, a fabulous assist for Mike Trésor's goal to make it 2-0. His good play has earned him an improved contract and an extra season in blue and white. His previous contract dated from last season, when he still was yet to play his first minutes in professional football. El Khannouss' new contract now extends through the 2026-2027 season.
"Bilal can't be anywhere better than with us at the moment," says Head of Football Dimitri de Condé. “The past proves that we here in Genk know our way around developing young talents. Bilal is well supported here, and he gets every opportunity to further develop his exceptional talent at the right pace, without skipping steps. I am pleased that Bilal himself also believes in the path we want to take with him in the coming years.”
“This new contract confirms what I have felt for a long time. The club has a lot of confidence in me and that is what I need at the moment. I have often seen other young players skip steps in their careers. I definitely want to avoid that. With this new contract in my pocket, I can focus 100% on football with KRC Genk. I want to win trophies here with this team and I hope to be able to leave through the front door one day,” says Bilal El Khannouss himself.
