After two seasons Bocholter tried to convince 15-year-old Trossard to stay by offering him a spot in the first team. Instead, with seemingly half the Belgian Pro League after his signature, the forward turned to the region’s biggest club – Genk.
Wertelaers would reunite with his friend in 2010, as back-up goalkeeper in Genk’s youth team behind Thibaut Courtois.
In training Wertelaers was facing shots from Kevin de Bruyne and Christian Benteke. And there, in that all-star squad, Trossard was holding his own.
“At that age me and my friends wanted to drink beer and experience our first parties,” added Wertelaers. “Trossard wasn’t that interested. He was always so focused on football.
“It was frustrating facing him as a goalkeeper because he was already so gifted with the ball.”
While De Bruyne and Courtois headed to Chelsea, Trossard stayed and at age 24 captained Genk to their first league title in eight seasons.
He joined Brighton in 2019 and spent four seasons with the Seagulls before switching to Arsenal in January 2023 in a deal worth up to £27m.
At moments last season he looked ludicrously talented, beating players with his low centre of gravity and superb dribbling skills.
He scored 17 goals, including a crucial goal against Porto in Arsenal’s Champions League last-16 win and another in the first leg of their quarter-final against Bayern Munich.
“That’s the story of his whole career – you don’t think he will reach the next level but he hits the top every time,” added Wertelaers.
“I played with all those players, De Bruyne and Courtois, but Leandro’s path from the third division at 16 to Arsenal now is the craziest I’ve seen.”
It feels like Trossard’s journey is one celebrated by the whole municipality of Bocholt, tucked away in the north-east corner of Belgium.
“He is almost impossible for us to comprehend,” said Bocholter VV board member Chris Kwanten.
“We’re a pretty small club in a small country. Genk and Anderlecht is a huge level for us.
“We can barely picture the size of a club like Arsenal. Seeing him play for the national team against the very best teams in the world, we are very, very proud of that.”