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Jeremy Doku’s performances at Euro 2020 marked his arrival on the global football scene.

At just 19 years of age, the Belgian winger delivered one of the standout individual displays of the tournament during his nation’s quarter-final loss to eventual champions Italy.

Now, as one of Europe’s most electrifying attacking talents, Doku still looks back on that night as a defining moment in his career.

After cruising through the group stage with a perfect record—defeating Denmark, Finland, and Russia—Belgium eliminated Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the Round of 16 to set up a high-profile clash with Italy in the quarter-finals.

Having started in Belgium’s group match against Finland, the teenage Doku was trusted by coach Roberto Martínez to start again versus the Azzurri, and he quickly justified that decision.

At the time playing for Anderlecht, Doku proved a constant menace to the Italian defence. He won a penalty that Romelu Lukaku converted just before half-time and also set a tournament record for duels won.

“That game changed my life,” Doku told FourFourTwo. “After that, people began recognising me on the street. They would come up to me, and I became more popular.”

Sixteen months later, at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Doku featured only briefly—coming on as a substitute in Belgium’s final group match against Croatia. Unfortunately, he could not inspire the Red Devils to the goal they needed to surpass the 2018 finalists and reach the knockout stages.

Despite limited playing time, Doku expressed gratitude to Martínez for including him in the squad.

“After the Euros, I was injured for much of the following season,” he explained.

“I didn’t represent the national team for a year, so for the coach to call me up despite my injuries and with other players performing well, I was really happy to be there.

“I didn’t play as much as I would have liked—just the last 15 minutes in the final game against Croatia—but I felt I did quite well.

“He could easily have decided not to take me at all.”

— Chris Flanagan, Senior Staff Writer