Inter owned defender Zinho Vanheusden discussed his serious injury, next summer’s European Championships and a possible return to the Nerazzurri in an interview with Belgian media outlet Nieuwsblad yesterday.

“I knew immediately what had happened, I felt like a tear. I even felt it. Arnaud Bodart told me he felt it too.”

The 21-year-old Belgian centre back, who is contracted to Standard Liege until 2023, then spoke about next summer’s European Championships.

“I just want to be 100% fit. It’s time to think about myself. I played a lot before the injury, 16 games in just over two months. Not that it was the cause, but tiredness always plays a role.

“With the previous cartilage injury, I started too quickly. Obviously, it was too fast for someone who had been out for six months and had just started training again. I knew it and everyone knew it.”

He highlighted how he would have left Belgium this season, considering himself ready to feature in a bigger league.

“Without my injury I would have gone abroad after this season anyway. I feel I can take a step forward. Now I don’t know. I won’t play in Belgium for a long time. But whether I leave after this season or after next season depends on the situation. How I feel, the injury, the team. It’s too early to know now.”

Finally, Vanheusden discussed a possible return to the Nerazzurri in his career.

“It would be nice if I play for Inter again in the future, because I have a past there. But above all I want to play with a top team in the Champions League.

“To get the most out of my career, that’s the goal. I can still go back to Belgium. But in Belgium I don’t see myself for any other team than Standard.”

The 21-year-old Vanheusden has made 13 appearances across all competitions so far this season, for a total of 1117 minutes. In that time, he helped the side keep three clean sheets and suffered a cruciate ligament rupture.

The Belgian defender is a product of Inter’s youth system and may have returned to the club next summer if it wasn’t for his serious injury, which is likely to set back his development.