Mumbai: “Yeah, I am the old man of the team, that’s for sure,” says a beaming Tom Boon.

The hockey star was a member of Belgium’s golden generation of players that won their first World Cup in 2018, and the country’s first Olympic gold medal, at Tokyo in 2021.

While most of his teammates from those triumphs that showcased the rise of Belgium have called time on their international careers, Boon, 35, has gone up a gear. The striker is the oldest outfield player in the Belgium line-up, but raked in 21 goals (including three hat-tricks) in the runners-up finish in the 2024-25 FIH Pro League season, and six goals in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup victory in November.

His exploits earned him the FIH Men’s Player of the Year award for 2025. Now, the man from Brussels is spearheading the Ranchi Royals attack in the new season of the Hockey India League, which started on Saturday.

“I had a good season,” he tells HT in a virtual interaction. “When you look back at the players who won (the award) before me, it’s such an honour to be on the same list.

“This is a team sport and the titles I win with Belgium are far above (the award), but I see this as a nice recognition of my whole career.”

And what a career it has been.

Along with the World Cup and Olympic titles, he was a part of the national team that won silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics and finished runners-up at the 2023 World Cup. He was also the joint-highest scorer when Belgium won the 2019 EuroHockey Championship.

Boon, who made his Belgium debut in 2008, has 354 national team caps, scoring 294 goals. But for a player who has won all the major accolades, he is not looking to stop anytime soon.

“When you get to 33, 34, you start asking if you can still handle the load. I’m happy I showed that I can still do it,” he says. “I’m still enjoying it. I still love being away with the team, it’s something I cherish. I’m really, really happy I can still go on.”

Of course, he has had to make adjustments to keep himself fit in a physically demanding sport.

“Food, sleep, fitness, injury prevention sessions…” he lists the areas he’s made changes in. “When I was younger, there was almost (no work) on this stuff. Now it’s a couple of hours each week. And once you don’t put in the effort, you see straightaway that you lose those percentages. It’s all about making the right choices.”

Ask him to pick the one thing he has had to change the most, and it is extra “emphasis on sleeping”.

“I sleep a lot more than I did before. Really, a lot more,” he says. “When I was young, I could easily go after midnight and be up early. Nowadays, I put my kids to bed around 7.30 pm, and soon after you can find me in bed. Certainly before 10.”

The off-field discipline has helped Boon remain the constant in a Belgium line-up that is undergoing transition. Only six of the 20 players who have played in the current 2025-26 Pro League season are 30 or above. Boon is the second oldest, after goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch.

The younger players coming into the squad have grown up looking up to Boon.

“Sometimes I get these old photos (of current teammates) from a time when they were five or six and posing with me for a picture. They were probably two or three years old when I made my debut,” he adds with a smile.

“It’s funny to somehow inspire them at one stage and to be on the pitch with them today. It’s really nice to have that new role, a little bit as a big brother. I try to answer their questions and be there for them as they develop. And those guys really showed me a lot of respect, a lot of love. And probably thanks to them, I could play at my best.”

Boon has just entered his 19th year as a Belgium player. And in all that time, he has remained a prolific striker. And the best male hockey player of 2025 still has a lot left in him.