August De Wannemacker has opted for an extended stay in Limburg. The 16-year-old top talent has signed a new contract for three seasons – the maximum duration permitted for a minor – keeping him at the club until the summer of 2028.
De Wannemacker has been confirming his immense potential for quite some time. He was one of the key players for Belgium’s U17 national team, which recently delivered strong performances at both the UEFA European Under-17 Championship and the FIFA U-17 World Cup. His development has not gone unnoticed at club level either. This season, the versatile midfielder has become a regular presence in midfield for Jong Genk in the Challenger Pro League, where he continues to impress week after week.
August stands out thanks to his excellent game intelligence and strong winning mentality. Last summer, this was already rewarded with a partial integration into the first team’s pre-season preparations, where he got his first taste of the level and intensity of top-flight professional football in Belgium.
Stijn Haeldermans: “The embodiment of KRC Genk’s development philosophy”
Stijn Haeldermans, Technical Coordinator of Jong Genk, sees De Wannemacker as the embodiment of KRC Genk’s youth development philosophy:
“August is an attacking midfielder who can also operate as a number eight. He adds value to his team both offensively and defensively. Combined with his enormous drive and winning mentality, that makes him the perfect embodiment of our development philosophy.”
De Wannemacker: “Genk is the ideal place to keep growing”
De Wannemacker himself is eager to take the next steps at the club where his journey began four seasons ago.
“I came to KRC Genk because, quite simply, it has the best football academy in the country. Over the past few years, I’ve experienced that first-hand. This is also the club where I want to break through to the first team via Jong Genk. Physically, I want to keep improving, and I also want to continue developing both my strengths and the areas where I can still grow,” said the ambitious young player from Ghent.
The entire Genk family wishes August every success as he continues his blue-and-white journey.
