Raal La Louviere central midfielder Samuel Gueulette is an enterprising player who is destined for greatness.
The 22-year-old Rwanda international has already featured for Rwanda in the U20s, U23s and even the senior national team before his 23rd birthday in May.
Gueulette has been a dominant figure in the Belgian third tier league where he orchestrates the midfield of his side who are chasing promotion to the Challenger League, the Belgian second division football.
Times Sport caught up with the youngster on his career, his football aspirations and his view on Rwanda&039;s chances of qualifying to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) that will take place in Ivory Coast in January 2024.
Below are excerpts:
Tell us about yourself
My name is Samuel Gueulette and I am 22 years old. I was born in Rwanda (Kigali) but I grew up and live in Belgium. I am a professional football player at RAAL La Louvière in the third division in Belgium. Our ambition is to get promoted to the second division.
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I started playing football at a young age in Brussels for RWDM. Then at 14, I moved to KAA Gent where I spent six years. After that I started my professional career at AFC Tubize but when the team was relegated at the end of the season, I went to Roeselare and signed a three- year contract.
Coronavirus came and the club had financial issues and went bankrupt. So I was a free agent and decided to move to the ambitious project of RAAL La Louvière. This is my second season at the club after being champions last year.
How was your time at KAA Gent?
It was good. I think it was a great place to have my formation. I learned a lot and that is where I started taking football seriously. It was far from home and I had to take the train every day to go there and come back home late.
It is one of the best academies in Belgium so I learned a lot and I developed well. Unfortunately, at that time, giving chances to the youth was not their main focus so I didn’t really have any opportunity to go to the first team.
Was it difficult deciding to play for Rwanda?
Not at all. I remember when I was 17, playing for the U21 in Gent. When I heard there was a possibility to play for the U20 of Rwanda, I didn’t hesitate. It was a great opportunity and to represent my country was something I always dreamed of. Until today, those are still the proudest moments in my football career.
It is really something different to represent your country.
Tell us a bit about your family
My mother is Rwandan and my father is a Belgian. He used to work in Rwanda and that’s where they met and got married. We then moved to Belgium shortly after my birth. I also have a little sister of 19 years of age. We are really close to each other.
Who inspires you most as a footballer?
I don’t really have any idols. I prefer to look up at different players and take a little bit of everybody. I used to like Steven Gerrard when I was kid. At the moment, I like watching Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) and Jamaal Musiala (Bayern Munich). They are young talents with very different profiles. I really enjoy watching them.
What is the biggest moment in your career so far?
Without a doubt my goal with the U20 against Zambia in 2018. It was on the day of my 18th birthday and also the first time I played a game for Rwanda. And I scored a really nice volley. Honestly, it was like a movie.
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What is the worst moment in your career?
I think the Covid19 pandemic. I just signed a three-year contract in a great club where I could go and develop my career but instead the club went bankrupt and we couldn’t play for one year. It felt like one year was lost in my career.
How was the feeling getting your first Amavubi call up?
Unbelievable! And unexpected. It was after that Covid period and I didn’t play football for a year because everything stopped. So I really wasn’t expecting anything but when I got the call up it was crazy.
It took some time to realize it and, even if it was not the perfect timing, I felt blessed and privileged to get a call up in the senior team. I don’t think I was in the best shape because when you don’t play during one year you feel it. But I think I did well and I learned a lot with the group.
It was a great experience and we won twice against the Central African Republic...so it was top.
Who is your greatest Rwandan player of all time?
Growing up in Belgium, I think Désiré Mbonabucya was the Rwandan player everyone knew. Because he played in Belgium but also because he was a great striker scoring a lot of goals during his career.
How do you see Rwanda's chances in the AFCON qualifier against Benin?
We have our chances. The team did well the first two games and now we all know that the two games against Benin will be crucial for the qualification. I think we have the quality to do good and make the country proud. I hope to get called up for those games and help the team the best I can and reach the goal.
Personally, how has the season gone for you so far at Raal La Louviere?
It has been good. We have a really strong team and we are fighting for promotion. The first three teams in the ranking will be promoted and currently we are third so we are on the good way.
Personally, after a small injury at the start of the season I have been playing almost every game sometimes as a starter or sometimes as a substitute. Our team is really strong with a lot of concurrence but the coach believes in my quality and my potential so I have to trust him.
It’s not always easy because I am a competitor and I want to play every time but I am still young and I have to trust the process to develop the best way possible.
Any achievements so far in your football career?
I think winning the league title last year with RAAL La Louviere and of course my games with the national team. Having already played with the U20, U23 and senior team at 22 is, I think, a great achievement. But of course, I want more and I work every day to achieve bigger goals.