K is for Kompany
The City and Belgium skipper has yet to make his Russia 2018 bow, having been sidelined by an injury that he sustained in an international friendly late last month.
However, manager Roberto Martinez is confident the central defender will soon be back in the fray, bringing his trademark qualities of calm, composure and steely determination to the Red Devils’ back-line.
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And when he does return, he will be able to draw not just on vast reserves of experience gained with City over the past decade but also the impact he made in Belgium’s fine run to the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals.
Kompany went into the Brazil showpiece on the back of another excellent season with City, the captain having led the Blues to both Premier League and League Cup glory (sound familiar?).
And he maintained his stellar level of performance once out in Brazil representing his country.
In their opening group game against Algeria - Belgium’s first World Cup finals match in 12 years – the Red Devils secured a hard-fought 2-1 win, coming back from a goal down at the break.
Kompany proved a commanding influence again next time out as Belgium secured another late win, overcoming Russia 1-0, to secure their passage through to the knockout stages.
After sitting out the final group game against South Korea, Kompany and his colleagues then played out a titantic last 16 clash with the United States in Salvador which went to extra time before Belgium prevailed 2-1, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku both finally finding a way past an inspired Tim Howard in the American goal.
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That set up an eagerly-anticipated quarter-final encounter with Argentina – and a reunion with City colleagues Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Demichelis who both started for the South Americans with Sergio Aguero an unused substitute.
In what was a tight, hard-fought encounter, Gonzalo Higuain’s eighth-minute goal ultimately proved the difference to finally bring an end to the Red Devils’ dreams.
Four years on, and with a star-studded squad featuring players of the elite calibre of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois to name but a few, and a group clash with England to come, it will be fascinating to see just how far Kompany and Co go this time.
