He arrived in Qatar with the wide-eyed excitement of a 21-year-old at a major tournament alongside team-mates he used “to play with on the Playstation”.
Amadou Onana admitted he could “not ask for much better” than playing with Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku at the World Cup, as Belgium’s fading golden generation aimed for one last big push for silverware.
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Instead, he was forced to watch from the dugout — suspended after being booked in the previous two Group F games — as Belgium’s campaign ended with a whimper in a 0-0 draw against Croatia.
The recriminations have already begun in earnest, with manager Roberto Martinez having announced his departure and question marks hanging over the futures of several players.
Onana is not one of them — he has plenty of major tournaments left in him — but 3,383 miles away on Merseyside Everton’s coaching staff will already be planning how to ensure that Belgium’s disappointing tournament does not leave any physical or psychological scars.
Onana is, after all, integral to Everton’s hopes of reviving their season — a vital cog in the midfield in whatever shifting role he has occupied.
For Belgium, he has played in a deeper midfield two, most prominently alongside the experienced Axel Witsel from the start in the 2-0 defeat by Morocco. Against the Moroccans, there were on average at least four attacking players ahead of Onana, and he tended to feature more on the right of the midfield two.
Compare that to the far more advanced (and left-sided) role he was deployed in against Bournemouth in Everton’s last morale-sapping league game before the World Cup.
Lampard has admitted the process of finding a settled role to get the most out of Onana at club level continues.
“I think the question is about trying to get the best out of him when we are in possession,” he told the Liverpool Echo. “And that’s probably a bit of a process for us and him, a case of how high we want him and sometimes how much we want him a little bit deeper.”
But will the Everton manager also need to use his undoubted people skills to lift the youngster after the disappointment of Belgium’s World Cup campaign?
Onana admitted his frustration at picking up the booking against Morocco in the aftermath of Belgium’s defeat, perhaps revealing the ongoing period of adaptation to effectively using his 6ft 4in (193cm) frame and physical strength while also staying on the right side of referees at the top level.
“In today’s football, you have to jump like a penguin,” he said. “I must be sorry for being tall and lanky? Pffft. I’m disappointed.”
Where to go next on The Athletic…
- Analysing Romelu Lukaku’s misses against Croatia – was he to blame for Belgium’s exit?
- How Belgium got it so badly wrong at this World Cup
But should Everton be concerned that a deeper disappointment, surrounding the team’s performance in general and the reaction back in Belgium, will impact on Onana’s ability to be at his best when Premier League action?
Lampard, plotting how to pull away from the worrying slump which left his team in 17th place when the season went on hiatus, must hope so. He will allow players who have competed at the World Cup a short break once they return to England before integrating them back into the training schedule at Finch Farm as they prepare to face Wolves at Goodison on Boxing Day.
Kristof Terreur is the European football correspondent for Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN) and has spent the last fortnight in Doha around Roberto Martinez and his players.
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Onana was HLN’s top-rated performer in the defeat against Morocco even though he had to be substituted after his booking, and Terreur thinks Lampard and Everton fans have little to worry about when it comes to the midfielder’s mindset.
“He has been a positive element of the World Cup for Belgium,” he says. “He has been very mature and spoke well at press conferences. His mindset has been strong and I cannot see that being too badly damaged.
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“Of course he was unhappy to be subbed off but he spoke well about that afterwards. At 21, he is not perfect yet, but his ability and potential is shining. He brings a positive attitude, takes responsibility and he was even coaching the more experienced players at times.
“I don’t think Everton must worry that he will lose focus on the Premier League when he comes back. He will take everything in his stride.”
Lampard will be hoping that upbeat assessment is correct.
(Top photo: Mike Hewitt – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
