Van the man for Marseille

By Svend Frandsen

Belgian defender Daniel Van Buyten has been one of the key elements in the Olympique de Marseille success story.

Superb performances 
Van Buyten, who turns 25 next month, has been highly praised in the French media for his performances at the heart of the Marseille defence as the club stake a claim for their first domestic title since 1992.

Expensive transfer 
Van Buyten first caught the eye playing for R. Standard de Liège before becoming Belgium's most expensive player when Marseille clinched his signature for €11.6m in 2001. The talented youngster's path to the south of France was eased by the fact that former Marseille president Robert Louis-Dreyfus was at the time a majority shareholder at Standard.

Croatian mentor 
Additionally, Van Buyten was a childhood fan of the Provençal club and was keen to renew acquaintances with Tomislav Ivic, the Croatian coach who had been his mentor at Standard. Nevertheless, some observers felt that Marseille had paid too much for Van Buyten who, although tall and well built, is not the quickest and had only limited international experience when he moved to France.

The 'next Jaap Stam' 
However, Van Buyten has had the last laugh on his critics - and rewarded those who had enough faith to label him the 'new Jaap Stam'. Slotting in alongside former FIFA World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf, Van Buyten and Fabio Celestini have formed an impressively parsimonious defensive unit.

Leboeuf help
"I am already a better player than two years ago when I arrived here," Van Buyten said. "Leboeuf has helped me a lot but I think I also made a lot of progress when he was out injured earlier this season and I had to take more responsibility."

Powerful in the air 
Van Buyten has certainly come into his own this term. Strong in the air and in the tackle, the Belgian international possesses a steely determination that could have been inherited from his father, a former wrestler. But Van Buyten has other qualities too - his positional sense and distribution are sound, and he can operate either as stopper or as sweeper.

Interest abroad 
Inevitably, the man known in Belgium as 'Big Dan' has attracted interest from leading English clubs, Manchester United FC and Newcastle United FC among them. Although Van Buyten has not ruled out a move to the Premiership, he has made it clear that staying on the south coast and helping Marseille's bid for European football appeals. "Playing in England is tempting but remaining with Marseille and playing in Europe is also a great challenge," he said. "I am happy here and my wish is not to go although, of course, there are some offers you cannot refuse."