Standing at 1.91 metres, Dylan Maes does not go unnoticed anytime he is on the pitch. The youngster, who plays his club football for Oroklini in Cyprus, is a budding talent with great potential to get on top of the game. Primarily a central defender, Maes can also be deployed in defensive or central midfield where he plays with ease. He has already been capped by Rwanda at U20 and U23 levels. ALSO READ: Cyprus-based Dylan Maes starts training with Amavubi U23 Times Sport’s football writer Edmund Okai Gyimah caught up with Maes where he shared his football career journey and what the future holds for him. Excerpts: Tell us about yourself My name is Dylan Maes and I am 22 years old. I was born in Brussels, Belgium where I grew up. I am a professional football player and my ambition is to play for the national team of Rwanda. How did your football career come of age? I started playing football at the age of 10 for Ritterklub. Then, at 12, I moved to Tempo Overijse, where I spent three years. At the age of 15, I signed with Waasland Beveren, with whom I spent three seasons. How was your time at Beveren and Amadora in Portugal? It is at Beveren where I progressed the most as a footballer. It was far from home, so my parents had to make a lot of sacrifices for me to be able to train every day. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunities I hoped for so it was time to move on for me. My time at Estrela da Amadora developed me to the player I am today. I was able to be with the first team every day. In our first season we were promoted to the secod division. The season later, we managed to stay in the division. Was it difficult deciding to play for Rwanda? It was a logical choice for me. I already had the opportunity to represent Rwanda at U20 and U23 level. My goal is to represent Rwanda’s senior national team as soon as possible. How was the feeling of getting your first Rwanda call up? It was an amazing feeling. I was 17 years old at the time and got called up for the U20. I was very young and had still had to mature as a football player. It was a great experience but unfortunately we didn’t manage to qualify for the AFCON U20. What has been your biggest moment in your career? I would say making my professional debut in Cyprus. It was a moment I had been looking forward to for a long time. It felt like a dream coming true. What is the worst moment in your career? Without a doubt the Covid 19 pandemic. I suffered a bad knee injury and not long after the pandemic started, I wasn’t able to do my rehabilitation as I wished. We couldn’t leave the house so I had to do most of it from home. Tell us a bit about your family My mother is Rwandan and my father is Belgian. He had to go to Rwanda for work and that’s where they met. My mom later moved with him to live in Belgium. Who is your biggest inspiration as a footballer? Growing up, I would say my idol was Vincent Kompany. I looked up to him a lot and tried to take bits from his game. My current idol is Virgil van Dijk and I learn as much as possible from his qualities. Those are the two players I look up to the most. Who is your greatest Rwandan player of all time? Playing at Beveren, I would say Bizimana is up there. I used to see him frequently as we played at the same club. I remember him going from APR to Belgium. It set the tone for other Rwandans to go play in Europe. Personally, how has the season gone for you so far at Oroklini? It has been great, I was looking to make first team minutes on a professional level and Alki Oroklini was the perfect place for me. I got the opportunity to play week in week out. Currently I have interest from first division clubs in Latvia and it is up to me to make the right choice. Any achievements so far in your career? An achievement I’ve been very proud of is making my U23 debut against Libya. The game didn’t go as we expected but we still managed to qualify for the next round. How do you see the Rwandan national team? I see a bright future; it is a mix from young talented to more experienced players. The upcoming games against Benin will be crucial to be able to qualify for AFCON. I have confidence and trust in the team, that we can qualify.
