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Winger Jeremy Doku has been criticised for saying he wants to leave Belgium's World Cup camp to be with his wife when she gives birth to their first child.

Doku's wife Shireen is due to give birth during the second week of July and he intends to return home even if the Red Devils are still in the tournament, which would then be at the quarter-final stage.

"It's my first child, so I ‌would ⁠definitely want to be there," the Manchester City forward, 24, told Reuters, external.

"If you ask me what I want, my answer is that nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child. But I also ​know that football ​involves many ⁠other considerations.

"I know the federation supports its players and understands their situations. We'll see what we ​can do."

However, Doku's plan to leave the USA and return home has brought fierce criticism from L'Equipe channel presenter France Pierron, who labelled a father "completely useless" at the time of their child's birth.

"The World Cup is an incredible joy," she said in a message posted to the Facebook page of French sports publication L'Equipe.

"There are hundreds of footballers who would kill to be in your shoes. It might never happen again in your life.

"You're living out a childhood dream, yet you're going to walk away from it all to attend the birth of your child - a disgusting moment, if you'll pardon the expression, where the dad is completely useless."

However, Doku's plan to leave the USA and return home has brought fierce criticism from L'Equipe channel presenter France Pierron, who labelled a father "completely useless" at the time of their child's birth

fasho01:
Those criticising him are bitter and don't know what family is about. They either are not loved or don't know what love is.

Congratulations on the arrival of your son Jeremy. Family first no matter what

Kingray10:
Is he the doc that wants to deliver the baby 😄
Well, I understand he ought to be there in these hard times for his wife tho.

CodeTemplar:
World cup is important but as a black man in Belgium, you will nevver be truly embraced. He should go and attwnd to family.

brain54:
He should not have gone and stayed with his madam...


Why should he start what he knew he won't finish?


He wants to eat his cake and still have it. Half leg here, half leg there equals neither here nor there!

fasho01:
Those criticising him are bitter and don't know what family is about. They either are not loved or don't know what love is.

Congratulations on the arrival of your son Jeremy. Family first no matter what

ravensckar:
What a rubbish excuse!

Imagine a soldier saying he'll abandon his duties (and comrades) at the front line to witness the birth of his first child.

I was only fortunate to witness the birth of my first child because I was at home on that day. Even at that, the hospital staff sent me out at the crucial moment when I couldn't stop pacing around the ward.

But you see the birth of my second child, that one was magical. I woke up in the morning, turned on my phone and called my wife to ask after her. And she casually announce to me that she had put to birth. I thought she was joking until the messages started flying in. Apparently, she put to bed in the middle of the night while I was snoring away my tiredness (from work).

Child birth is a wonderful moment no doubt, but a soldier must never abandon his duty post or his comrades at the front line.

#Picks_tooth

Slippy:
Inexcusable

This is like a soldier abandoning his mates at the front

ravensckar:
What a rubbish excuse!

Imagine a soldier saying he'll abandon his duties (and comrades) at the front line to witness the birth of his first child.

I was only fortunate to witness the birth of my first child because I was at home on that day. Even at that, the hospital staff sent me out at the crucial moment when I couldn't stop pacing around the ward.

But you see the birth of my second child, that one was magical. I woke up in the morning, turned on my phone and called my wife to ask after her. And she casually announce to me that she had put to birth. I thought she was joking until the messages started flying in. Apparently, she put to bed in the middle of the night while I was snoring away my tiredness (from work).

Child birth is a wonderful moment no doubt, but a soldier must never abandon his duty post or his comrades at the front line.

#Picks_tooth

Atunga:
Family above all else. I commend him.