Charles Marc S. De Ketelaere (born 10 March 2001) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for club Atalanta, on loan from AC Milan. He also plays for the Belgium national team.
Club career
Club Brugge
De Ketelaere joined Club Brugge at the age of 7, also working as a ball boy. He also played tennis as a youth, but chose to pursue football.
He made his senior debut on 25 September 2019, when he played the full game in the 2019–20 Belgian Cup matchup against Francs Borains.
On 22 October 2019, he made his UEFA Champions League debut against Paris Saint-Germain. He started the game and was substituted in the 57th minute with the score of 1–0 to Paris Saint-Germain, the game eventually ended with a 5–0 loss. On 5 February 2020, he scored a goal in a 2–1 win against Zulte Waregem to reach the Belgian Cup final.
On 20 October 2020, De Ketelaere scored the game winning goal in the 93rd minute to defeat Zenit St. Petersburg 2–1 in the group stage of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League.
AC Milan
On 2 August 2022, De Ketelaere joined Serie A club AC Milan on a contract until 30 June 2027. Signed for a fee reported to be in the range of €35 million, De Ketelaere however failed to fulfill the initial expectations of the Rossoneri, scoring no goals throughout the entire season and making only nine league starts.
Loan to Atalanta
On 16 August 2023, Atalanta formally confirmed the signing of De Ketelaere from AC Milan on a loan move with an option to buy. On 20 August 2023, De Ketelaere came off the bench during Atalanta's Serie A match against Sassuolo, striking the crossbar before sealing his debut Serie A goal with a precise header. The match ended 2–0 in Atalanta's favor. On 21 September, De Ketelaere marked his presence by netting his first goal in a UEFA Europa League group stage match against Raków Częstochowa, contributing to Atalanta's 2–0 victory.
International career
De Ketelaere was called-up for his debut in November 2020 in the Belgium team as a substitute in a loss to Switzerland. On 10 October 2021, he scored his debut international goal in the Belgium third place playoff match loss to Italy for the Nations League, 2–1. In a 2022 FIFA World Cup match against Morocco, De Ketelaere substituted Michy Batshuayi in the 75th minute.
Personal life
As of October 2021, De Ketelaere was living with his mother.
Career statistics
Club
International
Scores and results list Belgium's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each De Ketelaere goal.