De Ketelaere insists Belgium only looking forward after poor EURO 2024 showing

Atalanta’s De Ketelaere was given only six minutes of playing time at the European Championship in Germany, earned in a 1-0 round-of-16 loss to France that knocked Belgium out.

Much soul searching followed for coach Domenico Tedesco and his team, particularly after a poor group phase in which they came second behind Romania with four points from three games.

"We talked about it yesterday so we can leave it behind," De Ketelaere told reporters on Tuesday. "We should have done better in the group stage, so that we got an easier opponent in the last-16 than a top side like France.

"It's not just the coach's fault, because it's the players on the field who carry out the instructions. The only way to move forward is with the games ahead of us."

De Ketelaere said he harboured no ill-will over his cameo role at the Euros and was ready for more responsibility in the absence of several players, including the rested Romelu Lukaku.

"I'm not a person who has feelings of revenge," he said. "I'm ready to show myself and do my best. I hope I get my chance. There will be more room to play and I hope I can do my part."

The fixture with Israel on Friday will be hosted behind closed doors in neutral Hungary after several Belgian cities said they could not stage the game over security fears.

"I just see it as two matches we want to win," added De Ketelaere. "The group is also still a (good chance to advance), even though the European Championship was not what we expected."

Belgium are in League A and also have Italy in their Group A2. They play a second fixture against France in Lyon on Monday.