Nathan De Cat - Football Manager Wonderkid

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The Sort It Out SI data update adds thousands of new wonderkids to Football Manager 2024, making your next save feel like a brand new game. We’re taking a look at how some of the most highly rated youngsters perform after being added.

Name: Nathan De Cat

Nationality: Belgian

Age: 17

Position: Midfielder

Preferred Foot: Right

You will find Nathan De Cat at Anderlecht when you start a new save. In our save, he broke into the first team immediately, and by his second year, he was already completing full seasons. Though briefly sent back to Anderlecht Futures, he quickly returned and played 98 league games across four seasons. In 2024, Anderlecht lifted both the Belgian Super Cup and Croky Cup. De Cat was named in the club’s Best Eleven from 2024 to 2026 and earned a place in their Overall Best Eleven at just 20 years old.

His performances drew attention abroad, and in 2027, Bayer Leverkusen signed him for £44.5M. After a season of adjustment, he grew into a starter and by 2030/31 produced his best campaign, scoring his first goal and averaging a 7.09 rating, with a hefty price tag of £101M. He was named in Leverkusen’s Seasonal Best Eleven every year he played for the club and was inducted into their Overall Best Eleven in 2030. In Germany, he found consistency, but the glory he longed for never came.

For every young footballer, the Santiago Bernabéu is a dream. In 2031, Nathan made it a reality as Real Madrid paid £60M to bring him to Spain. But breaking into the starting XI was never easy, and in his first season, he endured frustration as the team stumbled to runner-up finishes in every competition. A year later, however, he lived his fairytale: a historic quadruple of the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Cup, and Spanish First Division. More silverware followed with cup wins in 2034 and 2035 and another league triumph in 2035. Despite this glory, he left Madrid with 115 league appearances and nine goals, never establishing himself in the first eleven.

Yet he was not done trying to conquer Europe’s top leagues. In 2035, Arsenal invested £55M to bring him to England, where he arrived with the same ambition that had carried him through Belgium, Germany, and Spain. He started brightly as a key figure in midfield, but his consistency faded over time, and by the end of his stay, he only started in two games. Even so, he added to his collection: a UEFA Super Cup in his debut season and back-to-back Carabao Cups. Across his spell in London, he played 147 league games and earned four inclusions in Arsenal’s Best Eleven.

By 2040, his journey took him away from Europe. On a free transfer, he joined Al-Taawoun in Saudi Arabia, where he impressed in a single season, scoring three goals, assisting 10, and averaging 7.58 rating.

Internationally, De Cat made his debut for Belgium at 20. He was named in the national Best Eleven eight times, inducted into their Overall Best Eleven in 2039, and reached the pinnacle in 2040 when Belgium lifted the European Championship.

In our save, Nathan De Cat’s career was full of ups and downs. He always pushed forward from early success at Anderlecht to struggles in Germany, hard battles in Madrid, and new challenges in England. His story is one of resilience and ambition, and he left his mark as a veteran midfielder on Europe’s biggest stages.