Hornets defender talks through his best players, matches and more in a quick-fire interview...
Best player you've played with?
“Eden Hazard from when I've played with him for the national team. There are not many players like him. When you are one-v-one, it's so difficult to take the ball from him. He's also a really nice guy, a top guy.”
Best player you've played against?
“I would say Sergio Agüero. He is one of the most difficult strikers to mark because he's always behind the two defenders. He's quite quick over the first metre and if you give him space in the box, he is so clinical.”
Best player you've seen live?
“I never saw him live but I watched Zinedine Zidane on the TV. Some of the things he did were incredible and everything he did on the pitch looked so easy. I remember one game, I think it was the World Cup in 2006 against Brazil in the quarter-final, it was the best individual performance I have ever seen.”
Best captain you've played under?
“I will not be obvious and say Troy, so instead I will say Vincent Kompany. He is a real leader, he gives 200 per cent, even in training, and he is a really good example for me. When we were knocked out from the European Championship in 2016, he didn't even play, he wasn't even in the squad but he gave a really good speech after the game and I was really impressed.”
Best character in the dressing room?
“I think this one is obvious: it's José Holebas. It is really difficult to make him do something he doesn't want to do so I will say him.”
Best game you've played in?
“It was only last month, against Liverpool when we won 3-0. It was incredible in terms of atmosphere in the stadium, individual performances and you couldn't rate any of our players under an eight out of ten. Breaking Liverpool's unbeaten run made it even more special.”
Best coach you've worked under?
“I would say in Belgium when I first started playing with a coach called Wolfgang Frank. He was the mentor of Jürgen Klopp and Klopp learned a lot from him, so it was great to have the chance to be coached by him. I learned a lot from him.”
Best friend in football?
“Enes Saglik. He plays for Charleroi. I've known him a long time and he's my best friend. Also, Djaid Kasri is a very good friend. He plays in the Belgian second division and I know them both from my time at Eupen.”
Best game you've been to?
“It was to watch my local team, Standard Liege, when they won the Belgian League in 2008 for the first time in 25 years when they beat their biggest rivals, Anderlecht. It was an incredible day.”
Best atmosphere you've been involved in?
“All the big games at Vicarage Road, there is no doubt about this. There is nothing like the singing and the noise from the Watford fans when we do well, like against Liverpool.”
Best game involving the team you support?
“When I was younger I was an Arsenal fan. I remember in 2006 the round of 16 game against Real Madrid when Thierry Henry scored a beautiful goal. He went past four or five players and that goal and that win made me really happy as they ended up knocking out one of the best teams in Europe.”
