Dries Mertens is a Belgian forward whose diminutive frame and quick feet made him one of the most productive attackers of his generation. After emerging in the Netherlands with Utrecht and PSV Eindhoven, he joined Napoli in 2013 and spent nine seasons in the south of Italy.
Converted from winger to a nimble false nine, Mertens flourished in front of goal and eventually surpassed Marek Hamšík to become the club’s all-time leading scorer. A mainstay of Belgium’s celebrated golden generation, he remained a livewire presence into the closing chapter of his career, later moving to Galatasaray.