4 min readJérémy Doku is one of the most exciting wingers in world football. The Belgian international plays for Manchester City in the Premier League and has been a regular for the Belgian national team since 2020, competing at two European Championships and two World Cups.
Off the pitch, the 24-year-old made headlines during the 2026 World Cup when he briefly left Belgium’s training camp in June to be present for the birth of his first child, a decision that sparked an international media storm. At the center of that story was his wife, Shireen Doku. Below, get to know more about Shireen:
Shireen and Jérémy got engaged in Dubai.
A screenshot from the engagement scene on When Two Become One.
Shireen Doku (née Shireen Erin Lyannda Raymond) was born in June 1996, making her around six years older than Jérémy. She works as an aesthetician in the United Kingdom. In August 2025, during a summer holiday in Dubai, Jérémy proposed in a romantic candlelit setting. He documented the moment in an episode of his YouTube docuseries, When Two Become One.
“You’re my girlfriend, but I don’t want you to stay my girlfriend. I want you to be my future wife,” Jérémy says in the video. Shireen replies, “Where did you get this from? I’m actually shaking. Where did this come from?” But after he gets down on one knee with a diamond ring, she says yes.
They were baptized together the day after a Manchester derby.
The couple share a deep Christian faith that has been central to their relationship. On September 15, 2025, the day after Manchester City’s 3-0 derby win over Manchester United (all games between Man City and Man United are considered “derby” games), Jérémy and Shireen were baptized together.
Before leaving for the church that evening, Jérémy spoke about what the day meant to him. “If I can be honest, this was for me already a victory,” he told reporters. “Why? Because I knew that after the game I’m going to be baptized. Maybe that’s why I felt like I was pushed. That’s why I’m very happy with the performance as well.”
The couple tied the knot last year.
Just a couple months after getting engaged, Jérémy and Shireen were married in October. They marked the occasion on Instagram with a photo from the wedding and a verse from the Bible.
For the big day, Shireen wore a white floral lace gown with a Victorian-inspired mock high neck trimmed in scalloped eyelash lace. The long sleeves appeared to taper into dramatic bell cuffs that cascaded over her hands. The dress also featured a semi-sheer guipure lace overlay with a fitted sheath silhouette.
Their son’s birth made international news during the 2026 World Cup.
Shireen was due to give birth in early July 2026, a window that could have overlapped with Belgium’s knockout stage matches at the World Cup depending how results went at the time. Jérémy was always open about his intentions. “No one wants to miss a birth,” he told reporters on June 15. “Moreover, it is my first child. But I also know that there is a lot involved in football.”
When Shireen went into labor earlier than expected, Jérémy flew back to London from Belgium’s World Cup base in Renton, Washington, home of the MLS’s Seattle Sounders FC. He only missed the team’s 0-0 draw against Iran. Jérémy had also been dealing with a minor respiratory illness at the time. Belgium team doctor Brahim Hacene said in a statement that Jérémy “was able to fly without any medical risk in order to be with his family during this very special moment,” and that he was accompanied by a team physician.
However, the decision drew sharp criticism from French television commentator France Pierron, who said during an appearance on L’Equipe de Choc: “This outrages me. When you are lucky enough to appear at a World Cup, there are hundreds of footballers who would kill to be in your place. It’s a unique moment, a childhood dream come true. And you’re going to walk away from that to be at the birth of your child? I’m sorry, the father serves no purpose. He is an extra.” Her own comments drew backlash, and Pierron later apologized on social media. L’Equipe later issued a formal statement saying her comments did not represent the news organization’s values. Her show was later suspended.
Jérémy and Shireen’s son, Praise, was born in London. “Everything went perfectly, and the mother, father, and baby are all doing wonderfully,” Hacene told the media. Belgium captain Youri Tielemans congratulated the couple by text and spoke to reporters about the moment: “I think having a child is the most beautiful thing in the world that you can have, and being there, it’s more than normal as a dad. For myself, I have three and it’s memories you can’t take back. So, yeah, very happy for him.”
Jérémy returned to the Belgian squad in Seattle shortly after the birth. In a statement on Facebook, he wrote: “Shireen and Praise are doing great, and my heart is full of gratitude. Welcoming my son into the world is one of the greatest blessings God has ever given me. Thank you to the team for the support, now it’s time to get back to football and represent my country on the biggest stage.”
Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at .
