Best Practice Ambassador
RSC Anderlecht
A staff perspective on making dual career possible in elite youth football
Featuring: Jan Kayaert, coordinator of the pedagogical team
At RSC Anderlecht, dual career is not seen as a side project, but as a long-term part of player development.
Through the work of Jan Kayaert, coordinator of the pedagogical team within the academy, the club supports young players between the ages of 12 and 18 in combining football and education in a demanding elite environment. As part of the EDU-DC project, Anderlecht contributes as a Best Practice Ambassador, sharing its staff perspective on how clubs can make dual career realistic, structured and sustainable.
What stands out in the Anderlecht approach is its clear philosophy: young players should not be forced to choose too early between football and education.
“We try to make things manageable, so that young players do not have to choose too early.”
For Anderlecht, the goal of dual career support is not simply to keep players in school. It is to create an environment where football ambitions and educational development can coexist for as long as possible.
Jan explains that this approach has been part of the club for many years through the Purple Talent Programme, which helps players balance demanding training schedules, school responsibilities and personal development. The role of the pedagogical team is to coordinate, communicate, motivate and facilitate — between players, parents, coaches and schools.
This support is especially important because academy football can quickly become all-consuming. Anderlecht believes that staying connected to a normal school environment helps players remain grounded, challenged and better prepared for the realities of elite sport and life beyond it.
Another strong element of the Anderlecht model is that it is widely embedded across the academy. The club has invested in a full-time pedagogical team, and Jan stresses that dual career only works when it is supported by everyone involved — not just one department.
That includes coaches, partner schools, families and the wider club structure. In his view, there is no place in such a system for staff members who refuse to support this philosophy. Dual career has to be a shared story, not an isolated initiative.
Anderlecht also draws strength from its own history. Over the years, a number of top players have passed through the same programme, proving that combining elite football and education is demanding, but possible.
“It will not work unless the whole story is shared across the club.”
For the EDU-DC project, Anderlecht offers a valuable best practice example from the staff perspective. Its experience shows that dual career in football requires more than good intentions — it needs structure, commitment, flexibility and people who are ready to carry the message every day.
That is what makes this example worth sharing.