Konstantinos Karetsas: Genk's mini-Martin Odegaard who rejected Man City and is now on a path to Greek glory

Karetsas was born in the small Flemish city of Genk on November 19, 2007. Like many of his international team-mates, he was not even alive when Greece's finest footballing hour came at Euro 2004 when they shocked the world and became continental champions.

He joined local side Racing Genk as a schoolboy and made his way through the ranks, before joining Anderlecht in the capital of Brussels at age 13. Though still a youth player, Karetsas established himself as one of Belgium's finest prospects with the Purple and White, and when he left to return to Genk in January 2023 as a 15-year-old, there was condemnation aimed at the club by the local press.

"Anderlecht's youth academy has seen better days," wrote Le Soir at the time. "After the announcement of director Jean Kindermans' notice, which came as a bombshell in Neerpede, it was the confirmation of Konstantinos Karetsas' departure to Genk - he will train there from Monday - that really hurt the Mauves."

The story goes that Karetsas did not want to sign a professional contract at Anderlecht, who had also lost Romeo Lavia to Manchester City in similar circumstances a couple of years prior, to ensure a smooth route back to Genk.

Returning to Genk seemingly came under the premise that Karetsas would be afforded minutes in the first and reserve teams before he turned 16. Indeed, he made his first appearance for Jong Genk, who compete in the second tier, in September 2023 when he was still only 15 to become the youngest debutant in the history of Belgian professional football. As a sign of what was to come, he even picked up the winning assist for his troubles in a 1-0 victory against Beveren.

Karetsas spent much of the season with Jong Genk, registering six goals and five assists in 20 games, before being called up to the senior side for their end-of-year play-offs. His first glimpse of first-team action came during a 4-1 defeat to Cercle Brugge in which he replaced Bilal El Khannouss, who he would naturally replace as one of the team's main creative outlets upon the Moroccan's switch to Leicester City that summer. After remaining an unused sub against former side Anderlecht the following week, Karetsas then made his first start against reigning champions Royal Antwerp and grabbed his first assist in the senior team.

Moving into the 2024-25 campaign, Karetsas was handed the number 20 shirt and a permanent spot in the first team, even though he wouldn't turn 17 until the autumn. Genk knew they had a serious talent on their books and were eager to keep showcasing him, but perhaps more importantly, he too wanted to stay and continue honing his craft.

Karestas' father, Vaios, told reporters in May 2024: "RB Leipzig, Milan and even Manchester City invited us several times to come and have a look. We didn't like it. The only team outside Genk where we had discussions was Ajax. Purely because it is close by and we have a lot of respect for that club. That was just one conversation. The second would be about sporting and financial matters, but we had already given our word to Genk at that time."

On a personal level, Karetsas has enjoyed a fruitful first full season playing with the seasoned adults of Genk. He was a semi-regular on their way to a first-placed finish during the opening stage of the Belgian Pro League, and even though their title challenge has turned to dust amid a poor run of play-off showings, the 17-year-old is hardly to blame for such a collapse - Genk won three of the five matches he started, but none of the four others in which he began on the bench.

The major storyline of Karetsas' season, however, came at international level. It seemed for all the world that he would be fast-tracked into the Belgium senior setup after moving up to Under-21 level, but instead he declined that opportunity and opted to represent Greece. Journalist Stephen Kountourou told BBC Scotland: "We had to fight tooth and nail with the Belgian FA to stop him representing them and that was seen as a big coup for Greek football, because Karetsas is rated not just as a potentially decent talented player, but as one of the big players for the future in international football."

Karetsas himself explained to reporters: "If I had played for the Red Devils, I would always regret that I would never be able to play for Greece. I feel really Greek. My heart beats only for Greece, my homeland fulfils me completely."

On his second appearance for Greece, Karetsas became their youngest-ever scorer when he netted the second of their three goals in a Nations League demolition of Scotland at Hampden Park. His decision to don the shirt of the Ethniki was vindicated pretty quickly.

In an assessment of his first games with Greece, Karetsas said: "Already, I feel like I belong in the national team. I'm really happy I made the decision to be here," he said afterwards. "I was up against Andy Robertson. He is a very good player, but when I go one on one, I don't see who's in front of me."

The perks of Karetsas standing at only 5'7 is he can jaunt swiftly between the lines and leave defenders in the dust, even if he is not a particularly quick sprinter over long distances. Everyone is aware of the threat these sorts of players pose, but if they are smart enough, it's still very tricky to slow them down. Considering Karetsas will be a teenager for three more years, he has proven to have a footballing brain far beyond his experience and has been a nightmare for Belgian Pro League opponents to pin down.

In spite of his small frame and the tendency for left-footed players to rely far more on their dominant side, Karetsas has shown he can strike a ball cleanly with either of them with great pace and power, making him a threat wherever he picks possession up in the final third. Already, there are various ways in which he can strike fear into the heart of the opposition, far more than a one-trick pony.

Karetsas usually starts in the hole, but can also be deployed on either flank, such is his comfort in driving with the ball from central areas out wide and vice-versa. A free role suits him best to fully exploit these capabilities, and his unpredictability with the ball at his feet makes him one of Europe's most watchable young stars.

Though there is plenty of upside with Karetsas' physical stature, there are also obvious drawbacks. First and foremost, he is yet to adapt to the more physical nature of the men's game, sometimes shying away from contact and losing duels under significant pressure against much larger defenders. You can't really use that as a stick to beat him with though, this is 17-year-old we're talking about here.

Karetsas' rapid rise through the youth system to senior football has also made him a tad nonchalant at times in a negative way. All his life he's been the best among his age-mates and hasn't had to try as hard to succeed on the pitch given his natural ability, but now he has to start covering more ground for the collective cause and showing more urgency if he is to fulfil his potential.

Ultimately, though, Karetsas is still an intelligent player for his age and you'd imagine he would figure out this part of his game as he gains further experience. A long and prosperous career should be ahead of him to iron that kink out.

There are a fair few parallels between Karetsas and Martin Odegaard, both in terms of player profile but also how their careers began at an early age. Odegaard was hailed as Norway's saviour as a 15-year-old, and around that time became one of the most famous wonderkids in the history of the sport. A transfer from Stromsgodset to Real Madrid shortly after his 16th birthday didn't come as a major shock, but he was never quite able to make it work during six years at Santiago Bernabeu, heading out on various successful loans before joining Arsenal permanently in 2021.

In Belgium and Greece, there is similar buzz about Karetsas, even if the rest of Europe is playing catch up to that hype. Odegaard is the best proof of concept, too, that even if his development stalls or he heads to a bigger club too early, Karetsas can still enjoy a fantastic career at the top level.

On the pitch, Karetsas and Odegaard share the typical characteristics of a left-footed final-third creator, only the latter has managed to overcome his slightness of standing and establish himself as an elite playmaker in the physical battlefield of the Premier League. This should serve as an inspiration and blueprint for the Greek to follow.

Given he also came through the Genk academy, Kevin De Bruyne has also been used as a point of reference for Karetsas, at least from a career point-of-view. It's unlikely, however, that he will ever have the requisite power and thrust to develop his game to closely resemble that of the departing Manchester City legend.

Genk have written a £35 million (€41.4m/$46.9m) release clause into Karetsas' contract, which has two years still to run. He has already been linked with Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle from the Premier League, while he has continental admirers in Bayern Munich and Napoli. If Karetsas wants out immediately, then he won't be short of suitors who could stump up that sort of money.

But for now, it may be best for Karetsas to stay with Genk, to try their luck at the Belgian Pro League title again next year and look to book a spot in European competition to further test his skills. Time is on his side, and if Greece book a ticket to the 2026 World Cup, then it would be far more beneficial to continue building minutes in a competitive environment. The future is bright for Karetsas, but he is in no rush to reach that final destination. "The next steps will be taken carefully," has been the message relayed by those close to him.