top25 eredivisie

BENE
FOOT
TOP25 EREDIVISIE
THE BEST OF BELGIAN AND DUTCH FOOTBALL - IN ENGLISH
BENEF OOT
www.benefoot.net
BENE
FOOT
BENEF OOT
TOP25 EREDIVISIE
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MARCO BIZOT & JEAN-PAUL BOËTIUS
BRUNO MARTINS INDI
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN
DALEY BLIND & LERIN DUARTE
FILIP DJURICIC
JORDY CLASIE
JEFFREY GOUWELEEUW & LEROY FER
TOMAS KALAS & KOLBEINN SIGTHORSSON
People who enjoy watching football from the Low Countries are often drawn to the leagues
due to the incredible amount of talent coming through. Besides the Dutch and the Belgians,
for whom it’s only natural to be schooled in the their home country, both the Eredivisie and
the Jupiler Pro League have proved to be an ideal platform for players as a final stage before
arriving onto the big scene.
As far as former Eredivisie talents go: Ronaldo Luis Nazario De Lima marvelled for PSV a couple
of years before making an impact at Barcelona, following in the footsteps of his predecessor,
Romario. Zlatan Ibrahimovic enjoyed a spell with Ajax before tearing up the Serie A, while
Jon-Dahl Tomasson helped Feyenoord winning the UEFA Cup in 2002 before going on to win
the Champions League with AC Milan. In short, the Eredivisie is a proven competition when it
comes to nurturing talent and, at present, it would seem like it will do so for many years to
come.
Ever since Gary Niblock decided to found a website on Belgian and Dutch football, the range of
nationalities involved on the website has been huge—Belgian, Dutch, Northern Irish, Scottish,
English, Australian and even Serbian. The one thing that unites these writers is a fascination
for leagues that accommodate young and talented players more than any other division in
Europe. With that in mind, we felt that it was only a natural next step to create a lasting
document regarding those players that we think are not only valuable assets to the Eredivisie,
but could go on to benefit football in general.
A list of 25 players born after the 1st of January 1990 was created in order to highlight
the young talents that impressed us over the course of the 2012/13 season, giving us the
opportunity to introduce a few of the next “best young things” coming through. With the
difference in age and positions, however, we felt it wasn’t appropriate to actually rank them.
The hard work of our BeNeFoot team and some guest writers resulted in a 24-page digital
magazine designed by Laura Pera. It is a document we’re proud of, and one that will hopefully
enlighten the reader as to some of the Eredivisie’s finest of last season.
We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did writing it.
Regards,
Michiel Jongsma, Editor Dutch Football at Benefoot
MARCO VAN GINKEL
ADAM MAHER
LUCIANO NARSINGH & NEMANJA GUDELJ
STEFAN DE VRIJ
KEVIN STROOTMAN
GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM, MIKE VAN DER HOORN & JEROEN ZOET
VIKTOR FISCHER
VIRGIL VAN DIJK
TONNY VILHENA & RICARDO VAN RHIJN
The BeNeFoot Eredivisie top 25 was written by: Peter McVitie, Stefan Coerts, Mark
Lievisse Adriaanse, Babette van Haaren, Jens van Pieterson, Kevin Bakx and Michiel
Jongsma. Gary Niblock. Peter McVitie and Michiel Jongsma were responsible for the
final editing. The magazine was designed by Laura Pera.
A thank you goes out to BeNeFoot members Björn de Cock and Chris Mayer, as
well as to Jim Proudfoot for providing quotes on several players. The stats in the
magazine are of transfermarkt.de. A mention for In Bed With Maradona and French
Football Weekly, who inspired us through their IBWM 100 and ‘Le 50’.
BRUNO
MARTINS INDI
Marco Bizot has had his first games as FC Groningen’s first goalkeeper under his belt.
Despite being only 22-years-old he’s come a long way to defend the goal of an Eredivisie club.
BIZOT, 6’3”, started his career in his early youth for SV Westfriezen in Zwaag. This is where he
was discovered at the age of 10 and brought to Ajax’s youth academy in 2000. He joined Jong
Ajax for the 2010-11 season, where he received plenty of game time under coaches Pieter
Huistra and Fred Grim. After a successful season with Jong Ajax, BIZOT received a contract
extension until 2013 and was loaned to SC Cambuur Leeuwarden in the Eerste Divisie, in
order to gain experience and to prove himself as a player.
In Leeuwarden, BIZOT developed and became Cambuur’s first choice goalkeeper. During
his spell in Friesland, he made his debut for Jong Oranje. He enjoyed playing regular
games at Cambuur. He told a local newspaper: “I would like to stay for another
“Yes, he is strong. But I am stronger”. With these first words about his
opponent on a local radio station, only minutes after Feyenoord played Belgian
side AA Gent in Augustus 2010 in the Europa League, Bruno Martins Indi
introduced himself to the world of professional football. BMI had just made his
debut in the first team of Feyenoord, only 18-years-old.
year. Cambuur suits me. Frankly, I don’t know what’s going to happen next
season. But I want to play, to develop myself. But Ajax makes the decision.”
It didn’t become a second season in Friesland but a first one in Groningen. On June 14, Ajax reported on their website the club had sold the young
Dutchman to Groningen, where he’d sign a contract that’d keep him at the club
until 2014. After a first half year on the bench, he surprisingly was lined up
in the starting XI at the beginning of the second half of the season, replacing an in-form Luciano. But with him in goal, the club rose from the lower
regions of the table to seventh place, eventually losing to FC Twente in the
Europa League play-offs. A dependable, calm, commanding and assured
goalkeeper, capable of amazing reflexes and two-footed, he can be
expected as the undisputed number one in Euroborg, unless something
bigger comes along.
Date
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M A R T I N S I N D I , born in Portugal but with roots in Guinee-Bissau and a Dutch nationality, was
13 when he left the safety of Spartaan’20, an amateur team from Rotterdam, to take on the adventurous life of a Feyenoord Academy player. Quickly after his arrival at Varkenoord, he was placed in
the same team as Stefan de Vrij. In no time, the two young defenders developed to be the future
defensive partnership of Feyenoord. They were part of (once again) a Golden Generation, winning
the national cup, the league and international tournaments almost every year. Jordy Clasie and Luc
Castaignos are some of the other players of this succesful team, of which most players have made
it to professional football.
Skip forward to 2013 and MARTINS INDI and De Vrij still play together. They’ve recently returned
from Israel, where they were some of the most talented players in the Dutch squad at the Under 21
European Championship. Having made there debuts in the senior national team in 2012 and playing
in Feyenoord’s first-team for three and four years now, they are among the most experienced
players in the Dutch squad. Despite being only 21-years-old, Indi has already played 76
games for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie.
10.0
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Only 23 minutes had flown by when JeanT
3.19
94
Paul Boëtius introduced himself to the world with an
Age:
equalizer against archrivals Ajax. De Kuip exploded, with the
19
Heig
joy of not only the goal but with yet another hopeful young hotshot from
h
JEAN
-PAU
Feyenoord’s Academy making his debut. His first match in the squad being just a
quarter of the way through, Boëtius had marked himself in the history books as one of the
few to have scored on their debut for Feyenoord.
t: 1,
78
The left winger, only 18-years-old when making his first start that day in October 2012, joined Feyenoord’s
famous academy at the age of only six-years-old. Quickly, he became part of yet another golden generation
of talented, Rotterdam born players. Anass Achachbar, Tonny Vilhena, Terence Kongolo and Boëtius himself
have all made it to the first-team, with Karim Rekik playing for Manchester City, Kyle Ebicilio for Arsenal
(though moving to FC Twente this summer) and Nathan Aké at Chelsea. In no time, the generation became
known as a championship winning, never losing team, winning both national leagues and international tournaments.
But when the 2012-2013 campaign started, Boëtius found himself in the Under 19 squad, with a serious
injury while former team mates and lifelong friends Achachbar, Kongolo and Vilhena were all promoted to
the senior squad. The young winger quickly became the next one to do so. After recovering from his injury,
Boëtius scored four goals in only five league games for the Under 19s, catching the eye of Feyenoord coach
Ronald Koeman. Just weeks after making his rentree at the youth team, Koeman asked Boëtius to enter his
office. He showed him a list. Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, Johnny Heitinga, Zlatan Ibrahimovic –
they were all on it. Koeman asked Boëtius what these players have in common, but the attacker could not
say. “They have all made their Eredivisie debut under my leadership and made it to the top. You
are gonna be next,” Koeman stated.
The next morning, Boëtius found himself in the starting line up for the biggest match of the season, the
home game against Ajax in Feyenoord’s stadium De Kuip, as Ruben Schaken was still recovering from an
injury. In no time, Boëtius had given an answer to all those critics saying Koeman had taken a risk too big
by starting the young winger. Ricardo van Rhijn, up until then the first choice right back in Louis van Gaal’s
national team, was hung out to dry by the debutant.
From then on, Boëtius quickly became a regular starter, impressing almost everybody – including
Van Gaal, who selected him for his provisional squad, though not selecting him for a definitive national
squad. The season ended though as it had started: with an injury, forcing him out of the Under 21 European
Championship that summer. Boëtius’ future is bright. Yet he has to become stronger and more concentrated
and focussed on the opponent’s goal and will have to overcome some serious injury troubles. If he will, no
doubt he will be the next in line of Ronald Koeman’s succesful players.
The big question this summer though was whether BMI would be playing any more games for Feyenoord. He was continuously linked to AC Milan and he looked likely to depart. After Feyenoord’s last
game of the season against NAC Breda, coach Ronald Koeman was asked if Jordy Clasie, De Vrij
and MARTINS INDI, all three being linked to foreign clubs, will stay at Feyenoord for another season. “I have spoken with them and told them it’s better to stay here for another year”,
Koeman stated, “and I think two of them are going to listen”, he added. Later that week, De
Vrij and Clasie both signed new contracts, bringing an end to all rumours about possible transfers
and making fueling further speculation about a possible transfer of MARTINS INDI. But the defender has since confirmed that he will remain with the Rotterdam club. A wonderful revalation for
Koeman as he keeps last season’s main stars and ensures the team develops even further.
For MARTINS INDI, it is probably for the best that he spend another year to further enhance his
skills as a defender before making the step up. Of course, he is talented and he has played well
over the last three seasons. And yes, he is the solid left-back of the national team, but the step
from the Eredivisie to the Serie A is very big. There is a big difference between defending against
the wingers of VVV Venlo and PEC Zwolle and defending wingers of clubs like Fiorentina and Sampdoria. The Eredivisie has fallen behind the big competitions in Europe, making it harder for young
players to succeed. Ibrahim Afellay couldn’t make it at both Barcelona and Schalke 04, although
injuries have hindered him severely. For Urby Emanuelson, his transfer to AC Milan cost him his
place in the national squad.
Though BMI does not play on his favorite position, the position of central defender is held by Joris
Mathijssen, another year at Feyenoord could be good, especially with the World Cup in sight. He
has to play every week to stay in the eye of national team coach Louis van Gaal and there is no
guarantee that he would have had he gone to a team like AC Milan.
2012-2013 STATS
3
goals
6
52
games
yellow
cards
Spending another season with Feyenoord will give him the opportunity to play every
week, develop further and be quite sure to be selected for the World Cup. It is now up to
him to ensure he develops further and is ready to leap into the top level of European football in the
near future.
BRUNO MARTINS INDI // Date of birth: 08.02.1992
Age: 21
Height: 1,84
1
1
CHRISTIAN
ERIKSEN
One of the most exciting and highly rated young
players to grace the Eredivisie in recent years,
Christian Eriksen burst into the Ajax side as a
17-year-old and quickly became one of the stars of
the team as well as the Denmark national team.
The young midfielder joined the world famous Ajax youth academy as a 16-year-old from Danish Superliga club
Odense Boldklub for a fee of around €1 million. The youngster proved his worth with some dazzling performances
and jaw dropping goals for the Ajax Under 19 team. His displays for the Jong Ajax saw the hype already surrounding him increase immensely. ERIKSEN was then promoted into the Ajax first-team by coach Martin Jol and quickly made his Eredivisie debut, starting in the game against NAC Breda. From then on, ERIKSEN made 14 more
appearances in the league, all but one if which Ajax won, and even featured in both legs against Juventus as the
Amsterdam side were eliminated from the Europa League.
That 2009-10 campaign was huge for ERIKSEN as his impact in the Ajax team saw him named Danish Talent
of the Year, as well as Ajax Talent of the Year. His exploits in that maiden season also earned him a place in the
Denmark national team for the 2010 World Cup, becoming the youngest player in the entire tournament. He
made two appearances as his country crashed out in the group stages, an underwhelming showing from the
Danes, but vital experience for the attacking midfielder. In the next international tournament, the 2012 European Championship, ERIKSEN was considered his nation’s biggest hope, even though he was only 20-yearsold. The Danes were drawn in the toughest group alongside German, the Netherlands and Portugal. They
managed a respectable third place finish with three points from their win over the Dutch.
2012-2013 STATS
24
14
goals
55
assists
games
1
0
Since then, the Middelfart-born player has been continuously linked to a move away from the Dutch capital.
Speculation has built around him concerning a move to Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona and Borussia
Dortmund throughout his time at Ajax. However, ERIKSEN has always remained loyal to the reigning
Dutch champions and shown that he is wise beyond his years. He even rejected the chance to join
Chelsea at 14 because he thought it would hinder his development, opting to move to Amsterdam to ensure
he was on the right track to reaching his potential. He even rejected an offer from Manchester City in the
summer of 2012 to stay with the Godenzonen. More recently, he rejected a multi-million euro contract from
Bayer Leverkusen in the summer for sporting reasons, insisting he feels that he can develop even more at
Ajax than he would at the Bundesliga side. ERIKSEN has always insisted that he is in no hurry to leave
Ajax, refusing to rule out the possibility of staying for another year. Of course a move would be ideal, but
it is not a necessity, is the logic he and his agent have applied to the current situation. He’s rather lucky to
have an agent who has done nothing to fuel the speculation-fires over the past few seasons, further proof
of how wise and committed he is – ensuring the people surrounding him share his priorities and interest in
his development.
It does, though, seem time for ERIKSEN to move on and show what he can do at a higher level. He
knows he is ready and his coach, Frank de Boer, has admitted that it is time for one of his greatest assets
to flee the nest in search of a new adventure. Despite wanting to leave, ERIKSEN remains loyal to his
team. He has stated many times that he will not leave Ajax for free, insisting that he will renew his
contract (expires summer 2014) if a transfer doesn’t go through this summer to prevent the club from
losing him without compensation.
The young Dane has consistently developed throughout his time in Holland and his passing
ability, shooting, technique, dribbling and intelligence have seen him play a central role in
the Eredivisie powerhouse’s three successive title victories under De Boer. He has also shown
the true extent of his versatility with Ajax. In the absence of Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, ERIKSEN was
deployed as a central striker in the match against Manchester City, playing the role of a ‘false 9’ very
well, shining through with a goal and an assist as the Dutch side beat the then Premier League champions 3-1. He managed to grab another assist in the return fixture and also set one up in each of the
home matches against Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
According to many top minds in European football, it’s only a matter of time before ERIKSEN is one
of the best players in the world. He has the ability, intelligence and potential to reach the very elite of
world football and he is wise and focused enough on his development to get there. All that remains
is the journey ahead.
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN // Date of birth: 14.02.1992
Age: 21
Height: 1,84
Daley Blind’s transformation in the 2012-12 season can be described as ‘from
nitwit to hero’. At the backend of last season Blind went from squad player
to regular starter due to Nicolai Boilesen’s hamstring injury. Blind fluctuated
between half-decent and unsatisfactory performances. This season the leftback has improved immensely. “The penny finally dropped”, stated coach
Frank de Boer.
Being the son of a club legend comes with its own tribulations. His father,
Danny, has been one of the best defenders ever to wear the iconic red-and-white
jersey of the Amsterdam giants. He captained Ajax to European glory in 1995 and
is considered a legend amongst the supporters. Despite the hard task of living up to
his father’s name, Daley never doubted his own abilities.
BLIND has versatility. He is capable of playing centrally in defence or midfield.
Despite that, he has gained a regular spot under Frank de Boer as left-back. It’s
De Boer who eroded his inconsistency. “I’m indebted to Frank de Boer”, said the
23-year-old. BLIND would say his strength is multi-tasking: tactically versed, strong
going forward, positionally disciplined and defensively sly.
Every time he has stepped on the pitch this season he has come out as one
of Ajax’s better and more consistent performers. It has been a combination of
discipline, sticking to basics and freely expressing himself. All the hard work he has
done in the past paid off and was rewarded with a place in the Netherlands national
team.
The fact that last season, thousands of fans regularly chanted “Daley BLIND is een
echte Ajacied” (a real Ajax man) would have been unimaginable a year ago. It was
confirmation that the most maligned player in De Boer’s side had finally won acceptance from his own fans. In truth, BLIND won them over with his performances. A
poll in one of Ajax’s most popular fansites saw him voted Player of the Season by
some distance. The icing on the cake for BLIND after winning the championship
with Ajax.
Age: 23
DALEY BLIND //
ate of birth: 09.03.1990
FILIP
DJURICIC
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has served Heerenveen remarkably well
over the past few years. He was a key part of the fantastic 2011-12 team
which challenged Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord and AZ to the league title and he
helped them get over the loss of several members of that squad by carrying
his mesmerising performances through to the current campaign. He scored
seven goals and set up five in the 2012-13 season, constantly linking up with
star striker Alfred Finnbogason and wingers Rajiv van La Parra and
Yassine El Ghanassy. The Serbian international joined Benfica in the summer
and he will be sorely missed at Heerenveen, who will struggle to replace him.
Height: 1,80
DJURICIC’s career began in the youth system of Red Star Belgrade before he moved to Greece to
play for Olympiacos at the age of 15. After just one year with the Superleague giants, he returned
to Serbia but quickly moved on again, joining Heerenveen in January 2010. DJURICIC made his
debut in the blue and white of Heerenveen just three weeks after he turned 18, getting an assist
in his first match. Since then, DJURICIC has been integral to the Freizen and has been their main
source of creativity. In his 99 Eredivisie appearances, DJURICIC has scored 20 goals and set up a
further 19, operating in either the attacking midfield role or out on the left wing. With his blistering
pace, mesmerising skills and tricks which unsettle opponents and gain him an extra yard or two,
excellent dribbling, superb passes and ability to find the net, it is no surprise that he has been labelled the “Balkan Cruyff”. The main criticism of Djuricic throughout the last two and a half
seasons is his inconsistency. That, however, is something he has improved on in recent months
and he has almost made it definitive – when he doesn’t play, Heerenveen sincerely miss him as,
starved of creativity, they lost each of the four Eredivisie matches he missed last season.
At the start of the season, Heracles were tipped as one of the league’s standout teams in terms of performances by many. The club featured an insane
amount of attacking talents in Willie Overtoom, Everton, Samuel Armenteros,
Marko Vejinovic, Ninos Gouriye and Lerin Duarte that would, combined with
manager Peter Bosz’s willingness to play in radical formations, lead to a series
of mystifying games by the Almelo-based side.
Sadly for the neutral fan, Heracles’ defence proved far too weak to uphold the aforementioned names and tactics, meaning lots of points were lost by awkwardly conceded
goals from counter-attacking sides. To top it off, the club also lost two stars in Overtoom
(AZ) and Armenteros (Anderlecht) in the January transfer window, creating an inevitable
bottom half finish for Bosz and his men. In the wake of this “lost” season for the black
and white striped club, one name has risen to the foreground, though; that of Lerin
DUARTE. Joining Heracles from Sparta in the summer of 2011, the young midfielder took a season to acclimatise to the Eredivisie before picking up the pace
and commanding a spot in the starting XI.
Speculation regarding a move to a bigger club has built around him over the past 18 months as
Heerenveen have been continuously torn apart with some big named players leaving for new adventures. It was obvious from early on in his Heerenveen career that it was just a stepping stone
and that he would eventually develop beyond the club and the league. DJURICIC has remained
loyal to the Friesland side, however, opting to stay for another season to continue his development
and rejecting the opportunity to leave during the January transfer window in order to help his side
secure a place in the Europa League playoffs in the Eredivisie. It emerged in the second-half of the
campaign that he had reached an agreement to join Benfica in the summer and it was confirmed
near the end of term that he would move to the Portuguese giants and eventual Europa League
finalists. Heerenveen coach Marco van Basten described it as the ideal second step to further his
development before he moves up another level in football. It seems somewhat inevitable that he
will one day end up moving to one of Europe’s biggest leagues but, to ensure that he is capable, a
few years playing under Jorge Jesus alongside the likes of Lima, Oscar Cardozo, Ola John and Nicolas Gaitan will do him a world of good.
That was no different in 2012-13, when the 22-year old left-footed dribbler stepped
into the spotlight after Overtoom left and carried the midfield in the latter stages of the
league. With six goals in 30 games, he was the fourth highest goalscorer for his side last
term and his six assists place him on a shared second place alongside Vejinovic in the
squad ranking come the end of the campaign.
DUARTE’s performances throughout the campaign were recognised by Netherlands Under 21 coach Cor Pot and he was included in the provisional squad for the
Under 21 European Championship in Israel in the summer. Although the midfielder didn’t
make it into the final squad, it was a good indication of his talent and a reward for his
electrifying displays in the black and white of Heracles.In the summer, Ajax coach Frank
de Boer made no secret of his desire to bring the young midfielder to the Amsterdam
Arena as a replacement for Christian Eriksen, who looked set to depart the capital. But
the coach later insisted that he would not pursue the youngster as he had brought an
end to his summer spending. De Boer won’t have been the only coach to have had a
look at DUARTE, however. So don’t be surprised if you see him make a step up towards
a bigger side in the near future, for he has the quality. It’s just a matter of time, really.
LERIN DUARTE // Date of birth: 11.08.1990
Age: 23
2012-2013 STATS
14
goals
4
DJURICIC was there to create plenty of goals and opportunities for the likes of Dost and Finnbogason. He has been one of their most important players since he broke into the first-team as a fresh
faced teenager. Now, a wiser and more developed Djuricic is ready to move on. Heerenveen
will miss him severely, but it’s time for the Balkan Cruyff to go on and fulfil his potential.
Height: 1,69
FILIP DJURICIC // Date of birth: 30.01.1992
Age: 21
Height: 1,82
46
9
assists
games
0
Jeffrey Gouweleeuw fits the profile of a typical Dutch centre-back. He is an athletic, strong and tall defender who
uses his pace to good effect as he charges forward to add to the attacking dimension of his team. He is comfortable with the ball at his feet and is a strong passer of it too as he kick-starts attacks by building from the
back. Crucially, Gouweleeuw doesn’t sacrifice his defensive duties for his attacking ability. He makes good use
of his height when it comes to aerial battles and is a strong tackler with good positional sense.
GOUWELEEUW joined Heerenveen at the age of 15 from ADO’20 and made his Eredivisie debut four and a half years later under coach Ron Jans. He played five more games in that season and, in the next campaign, he missed the first four
matches but played in all of the remaining league games. The focus that season was on the magic trio of Bas Dost,
Luciano Narsingh and Oussama Assaidi as they lead the attacks and created an abundance of chances and goals as
Heerenveen challenged the big boys to the league title. But GOUWELEEUW’s influence was obvious. With his bursts
forward, he scored three goals and set up another three, while his defensive solidity was also crucial to the success
of the team.
JORDY CLASIE
Too small, not enough strength and not talented enough. That is what Jordy Clasie heard for
years at Feyenoord’s youth academy, when, after another season, the coaching staff gave him
the benefit of the doubt, but with big doubts. Yes, he was small. Yes, he lacked strength. And
yes, maybe he lacked talent. But he didn’t lack willpower to make it to the top.
In fact, he possessed that in abundance.
For years, CLASIE did not seem to be among the biggest talents of his generation – literally. Every
year, the Haarlem-born midfielder had to fight for his survival in the survival-of-the-fittest environment of Feyenoord’s youth
academy. Other midfielders were taller, had more talent and played in more national youth teams. But at the end of the
race, they didn’t make it to De Kuip. CLASIE, on the other hand, did. For each of the last two seasons, the small but
increasinlgy strong midfielder has developed into the star of Feyenoord’s succesful team of youngsters.
Where former academy players like Kevin Jansen, who was said to be a bigger talent than CLASIE, never made it to the
first-team after a loan spell at Feyenoord’s affiliate team Excelsior. CLASIE, though, did return in the summer of 2011 after
a strong, promising season at the other side of Rotterdam, but without much prospect of making it into the starting XI.
However, Ronald Koeman, the new coach who arrived that same summer, decided to give the youth international a chance
in August 2011, when Feyenoord started the competition at the stadium in which CLASIE made his debut in professional
football: Woudenstein, the home of Excelsior. He never left the team from then on.
.199
four seasons. Its most famous graduate is arguably Robin van Persie,
but Varkenoord has produced plenty more fine players in the past few years,
with current Norwich midfielder Leroy Fer as one of the more high-profile names learning
his trade at the club.
The combative midfielder made his official debut for Feyenoord in the 6-0 Eredivisie win over Heracles in
December 2007 at the tender age of 17 and would quickly develop into an important
first team member at De Kuip.
Nevertheless, as Feyenoord were being plagued by financial problems and failed to really challenge for
silverware, FER decided the time was right to move on in the summer of 2011 and he eventually joined
Twente after over 100 league games for the Rotterdam giants.
FER initially had a hard time adapting to his new surroundings as head coach Co Adriaanse kept
him out of the starting XI on more than one occasion. However, with Adriaanse leaving Enschede
halfway through the season, the midfielder’s status quickly changed and he ended the 2011-12
season in fine form, netting eight goals in 26 Eredivisie games for his new club in the end.
2012-2013 STATS
7
2
8
assists
47
games
yellow
cars
Age: 22
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FFRE
05.0
Y GO
1.19
UWE
90
LEEU
Although Ajax generally get all
Age:
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the praise for their superb youth set-up,
e
i
g
h
it’s actually the Feyenoord Academy that has been
t: 1,
88
voted the best of its kind in Netherlands in each of the past
When the next season started, and Louis van Gaal had taken over the national team from Bert van Marwijk after
a disappointing European Championship, CLASIE got selected for the Oranje for the first time, together with
teammates Stefan de Vrij, Bruno Martins Indi, Daryl Janmaat and Ruben Schaken. The next generation of Dutch
talents is ready to take over, an exciting notion for Dutch football.
JORDY CLASSIE // Date of birth: 27.06.1991
Date
LERO
But everything changed that year. CLASIE turned out to be the Small General in the midfield Feyenoord had been
looking for, forming an excellent trio with Karim El Ahmadi (now playing at Aston Villa) and Otman Bakkal, who was
on loan from PSV. John Guidetti, the Swedish striker on loan from Manchester City made himself a hero of Feyenoord’s supporters after scoring three goals against archrivals Ajax. In the end, Feyenoord finished second in the
league, qualifiying for the Champions League for the first time in nine years.
Next season might therefore be the most important one in CLASIE’s career so far. After two years of developing into an important player, next season he will have to gain some consistency, lead the team
and cut out the errors in his game. If CLASIE will succeed in this, the summer of 2014 might be paved
with gold – playing in both the World Cup and making a transfer to a bigger European team.
Next season, GOUWELEEUW will be sporting a red jersey, as opposed to the blue and white of Heerenveen, after his highly anticipated move to AZ was finalised. The defender is an important improvement
to a team who conceded 54 goals in the Eredivisie last season, compared to 35 the preceding year.
AZ are looking to climb back into the top half of the table after such a disappointing campaign and
GOUWELEEUW will be a key part of that. He is tied to a five year contract, although the general
consensus is that the defender is destined for bigger and better things, but his move to Alkmaar
will be a crucial step in his development as he continues to improve.
0.07
The story of CLASIE is symbolic of the story of Feyenoord. A lack of prosperity, laughed at by other teams; both
Feyenoord’s and CLASIE’s future did not look bright. A supporters’ revolt against the board ended with a Bastille-like
attack on the club’s offices, while important players like Leroy Fer and Georginio Wijnaldum left the club to look for a
brighter future at FC Twente and PSV respectively. A year after almost going bankrupt, Feyenoord still had no money to
spend on transfers. Former youth academy players Miquel Nelom and Kaj Ramsteijn were brought in as a free agents
from Excelsior, together with striker Guyon Fernandez, while CLASIE returned from his loan spell. With a team lacking
experience in the Eredivisie, Feyenoord’s season looked doomed – again.
What does CLASIE’s future hold? No doubt he is one of the biggest talents in Dutch football right now. For two
seasons, he has been one of the most important players for Feyenoord, guiding the team together with captain
De Vrij, with whom he has played together most of his life. Together they decided to stay at Feyenoord for
another season in May, bringing an end to rumours about possible transfers to Italy (CLASIE) or England
(De Vrij). A wise decision. CLASIE is not ready for a bigger competition yet, and he was right when he said
he still has to learn a lot at Feyenoord. Though he has a good season behind him, his performances are
irregular, lacking the strength to perform consistently. Both CLASIE and De Vrij couldn’t pull Feyenoord out
of misery in away games at Heerenveen and ADO Den Haag, where Feyenoord lost, bringing an end to their
dreams of winning the league for the first time in 15 years.
Last season wasn’t as prosperous for Heerenveen due to the huge loss of quality they suffered. The magic trio
departed, as did Daryl Janmaat, Michel Breuer and Viktor Elm, meaning GOUWELEEUW’s importance to the
team grew and he did well to soften the blow of such departures. He managed to score one and get one more
assist, but, surprisingly, he picked up three suspensions having picked up one red and eight yellow cards,
whereas he had only received one booking in the league in the previous campaign.
The 21-year-old is yet to feature for the senior national team, but he will provide great
competition to the likes of Stefan de Vrij, Bruno Martins Indi, Ron Vlaar, Joris Mathijsen
and John Heitinga for a spot in the heart of the Oranje defence over the coming years.
Height: 1,69
0
An even better start to this season even earned him a recall for Netherlands two years after his
debut for Oranje, but a knee injury picked up in the World Cup qualifier against Turkey then
temporarily halted his progress.
His physical problems cost him a move to Everton in January and he briefly struggled to cope
with the disappointment of his collapsed transfer. FER returned to his usual best in the closing
stages of the season, though, and the box-to-box midfielder earned his summer move to the
Premier League, after signing a four-year deal with the Canaries for a reported fee of around €5m.
On the 14th of November 2012, the then 19-year-old Tomas Kalas made his
debut for the Czech Republic national team. As he was about to be substituted in, he was told to warm up. He ran himself ragged. In the 74th minute,
he was handed his debut, with David Limbersky making way. Two sprints in
and the youngster was searching for breath. Tomas Kalas never learned how
to warm up on his own, as he was always part of the starting XI.
A telling story of a very talented young defender. He only recently turned 20,
but has two full seasons of professional league football under his belt already. Coming
through the ranks of Sigma Olomouc, it was quite clear from an early age that the boy
was some talent. At 16, he was bought by Chelsea for a fee of €6.4 million and immediately loaned back. He returned to Chelsea after six months and after half a season of
youth football, he was loaned out to Vitesse for the start of the 2011-12 season.
At the Eredivisie club, he immediately established himself as a first-team regular,
partnering Georgian Guram Kashia in defence. Vitesse had a great season, qualifying
for the Europa League, and KALAS was one of the key performers in the young squad.
His pace and stamina stood out, as well as his mature play and eye for the tackle.
Although only 18, he didn’t shun the physical battles and impressed throughout the
season. His loan was extended for another year and in the 2012-13 campaign, he was
used as a right-back. Again, he was as solid as ever and his ability to play either in the
centre or on the flank is impressive. At 20-years-old, it is clear that a great future
lies ahead of KALAS, if not at Chelsea, another club would be happy to have him.
Age: 20
TOMAS KALAS //
ate of birth: 15.05.1993
A dynamic, box-to-box midfielder with an abundance of potential, 20-yearold midfielder Marco van Ginkel has developed into one of the most exciting
midfielders in the Eredivisie. The youngster enjoyed a wonderful 2012-13
season in both personal terms and with his club. Van Ginkel was absolutely
crucial to Vitesse’s campaign in which they challenged for the title until the
final weeks and secured a Europa League spot.
On a personal level, his performances were noticed by Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal and he was
handed his first cap for the national team. A wonderful season on all fronts was then compounded by
him being voted the winner of the Johan Cruijff Prijs (Dutch Young Player of the Year) by a panel consisting of some of the greatest minds in Dutch football, such as Johan Cruijff, Frank de Boer, Jan Wouters,
Fred Rutten, Ronald Koeman, Phillip Cocu and Erwin Koeman. To top it all off, he earned a place in
the first-team for the Under 21 European Championship and then earned a summer move to Premier
League giants Chelsea.
The young midfielder has consistently improved each year since his debut for the Arnhem
club as a 17-year-old. In the early stages of his professional career it was said that the only key
aspect missing from the midfielder’s game was the ability to put the ball in the net. Too often, he would
find himself in a glorious goal scoring position with the ball at his feet and squander the opportunity.
That, however, is something VAN GINKEL has improved on over the course of last season, having
scored 12 goals from midfield in all competitions for Vitesse. His eight goals and eight assists in the
league alone is a new personal best and the fact he played in all but one of his side’s league matches
last term shows how important he has been to the team and their title challenge.
Height: 1,84
A strong striker with a good touch and a keen eye for goal, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson has been a key member of the Ajax team throughout his first two years
with the club, despite being frustrated with injuries. Since his move from AZ,
following a season in which he scored 15 goals in 32 league appearances, he
has missed most of the Amsterdam side’s league games.
VAN GINKEL models himself on Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard, whom he has admired from a young age.
“He is a good worker but he can also play football, score nice goals and he is a real team
player,” the Netherlands international says of the Kop legend. But those words could be used to des-
cribe the Amersfoort-born player himself. His pace, technique and passing ability have made him one
of the standout prospects in a league filled with exceptional talents and it’s no surprise to see that he
caught the attention of several clubs before joining Chelsea. So hard working and exciting is the Dutch
Talent of the Year that Cor Pot couldn’t justify leaving him out of the Netherlands Under 21 starting XI in
the tournament in Israel instead of the highly rated Jordy Clasie. VAN GINKEL was a key player for the
exciting and enticing Jong Oranje as they marched through the group stage but were halted by runners-up Italy in the semi-final.
However, despite his absence, his goals have seen him play a major role in
each of those two title winning campaigns. His five goals and one assist in his first
eight Eredivisie matches for Frank de Boer’s side preceded a lengthy injury spell which
kept him out for 19 matches and, upon his return, he netted two more as Ajax strolled
towards league glory.
The 2012-13 season started brightly for SIGTHORSSON, he scored in the opening
game of the season as Ajax drew 2-2 with his former team, but he would be out of action from then until February with a shoulder injury, missing all of his side’s Champions
League matches. The 23-year-old went on to score six goals in the 14 league games he
played between his return and the end of the season, setting up another two as Ajax
went on to lift a third successive Eredivisie title.
2012-2013 STATS
The most popular and highly regarded player of Vitesse over the past season was star striker Wilfried
Bony due to his 31 goals in 30 Eredivisie matches, but VAN GINKEL’s influence could not be understated. In fact, when both Bony and VAN GINKEL were absent for the defeat to Feyenoord which
ultimately brought their title hopes to a grinding halt, many people argued that it was the midfielder
Vitesse missed most, not their goal machine. His link up play with Bony was crucial to the spectacular
season the Ivorian frontman enjoyed. Their partnership was remarkable and, at times, unstoppable.
The 5-3 victory away to Heracles remains the standout performance, in which Bony (hat-trick)
and VAN GINKEL (two goals) ran the show.
The injury troubles are obviously a cause for concern – De Boer has admitted that he
doesn’t expect to get a full season out of SIGTHORSSON – but his talent as a striker
is obvious and his potential is great. He has the goalscoring ability to play in his
natural
No. 9 position, but he has the technique and ability to drop deeper as well as
the strength to hold the ball up and bring others into play. The 6’1” striker is also
strong in the air and can score goals with both feet.
14
goals
The young midfielder’s performances throughout last season earned him a move to the Premier League,
where he teams up with Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. The transfer gives VAN GINKEL the opportunity to play at a higher level and blossom further. If he gets enough game time at the London
giants, he will stand a great chance of making the Netherlands squad for the 2014 World Cup. Many
have questioned whether the move is right for the midfielder, but he is wise enough to make decisions
which will benefit him and he is determined to grow and develop properly. He wouldn’t have made this
step unless he was very confident of being able to claim a place in the Chelsea squad in the long-term.
SIGTHORSSON has played 13 games for the Iceland national team, scoring
eight goals. He is very much a big part of a bright future for his country in footballing
terms. The current crop is widely regarded as the brightest generation of players Iceland
has ever seen and, if his fitness issues are resolved, he can go on to have a great international career and an equally exciting club one.
KOLBEINN SIGTHORSSON // Date of birth: 14.03.1990
MARCO
VAN GINKEL
6
51
games
With this move he gets the chance to play for one of the biggest teams in Europe in one of the best
leagues. Chelsea, on the other hand, gain a skilful and talented midfielder who could become one of the
best in the continent.
Age: 23
Height: 1,85
MARCO VAN GINKEL // Date of birth: 01.12.1992
Age: 20
14
assists
Height: 1,86
0
ADAM MAHER
They say great footballers recognise each other. If that’s the case,
Adam Maher is already a great. In the summer of 2012, AZ played
Anzhi Makhachkala in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League
and even though the Russian team smashed the Kaasboeren, there
was one little man still able to make an impression in the red and
white shirt. After the game, Anzhi superstar Samuel Eto’o came up
to Maher to compliment him on his performance.
It was another bit of praise in a period throughout which there was many for the youngster. He had just been awarded the Johan Cruijff Prijs (Dutch Young Player of the Year). The grand maestro himself said MAHER had been “one
of the most consistent footballers throughout the season.”
In all fairness, it is not hard to see his talent. A gifted central midfielder, who likes to play in the Nr. 10 position, but is comfortable in a more controlling role too. MAHER truly is one of the greatest talents of his generation.
His creativity, his awareness, his dribbling, his technique, his vision, his intelligence and, for such a small man
(5’8”), he is deceptively strong. He is destined to become another midfield great for the Netherlands.
An AZ youth product, the Moroccan-born but Dutch-raised MAHER was handed his debut at only 17 years and 147
days on 15th December in 2010. Against BATE Borisov he replaced Pontus Wernbloom and immediately scored.
With that, he was the youngest Dutch goal scorer ever in a European competition, breaking the record previously held by Rafael van der Vaart. Even though he was hardly utilised that season, the appearance
against BATE was a sign of things to come and when injury prone Belgian playmaker Maarten Martens was injured
again, he got his chance from AZ coach Gertjan Verbeek. In the 2011-2012 season, he played every single Eredivisie game and was mightily impressive. AZ were adamant that they would hold onto their youngster, despite strong
interest from big clubs both in Holland and across the continent. Furthermore, MAHER was in the provisional squad
for the Dutch national team ahead of the 2012 European Championship. He was dropped eventually, something
Bert van Marwijk was heavily criticized for by Cruijff among others. Louis van Gaal corrected the mistake almost
immediately when he took over the national team duties following the abysmal showing in Ukraine and Poland that
summer and gave the gifted youngster his debut in the 4-2 defeat to Belgium in August.
2012-2013 STATS
13
12
goals
assists
51
games
5
1
Throughout the 2012-13 season, he shone in an AZ team that failed to reach the heights of previous years, finishing a meagre 10th and only fending off relegation threats in the last weeks of the competition. He wasn’t always
the best player on the pitch, but often he was the most gifted and talented one. And he always showed desire to
win and work hard. In the winter break, PSV tried to get him, but couldn’t agree a fee with the Alkmaarders. Even
though MAHER was desperate to leave, he kept his head cool and impressed with another series of performances.
Against Italy, for instance, when on international duty, MAHER spearheaded the three-man midfield consisting of
himself, Kevin Strootman and Jordy Clasie. MAHER was pitted against Pirlo and the Italian playmaker hardly got a
touch of the ball, while MAHER was at the heart of every Dutch attack. Not to mention the KNVB Beker final against
PSV, a competition in which AZ fared well this season, where he solely ran the midfield pair of Strootman and Van
Bommel ragged, scoring a goal that highlighted so many of his qualities.
MAHER leaves AZ this summer with a trophy as his inspirational play won AZ that final 2-1 against the Eredivisie
giants. Interestingly, he departs to join the victims of his remarkable talent, moving to PSV for a reported fee of
around €8 million. The youngster always seemed to be edging towards a move to Ajax, but the Eredivisie champions pulled out because he was too expensive and PSV could only afford him with the help of a third party investor,
it later emerged. It says a lot about the patience of the teenager that he chose to stick around and grow in Holland
for the next few years, despite words from his AZ coach Verbeek that he is “ready to play for a top European
side”.
MAHER felt that it would be best to hone his skills further in his homeland before he moves onto bigger and better
things. In the long-term, his patience will likely pay off.
ADAM MAHER // Date of birth: 20.07.1993
Age: 20
Height: 1,74
When Heerenveen opted to cash in on Roy Beerens in the summer of 2011, many questioned the Frisians’ decision to let their star attacker join AZ. Head coach Ron Jans was
not among those worrying, though, as he was confident they already had the perfect
replacement on their books; Luciano Narsingh.
The pacey winger had made his Heerenveen debut in October 2008, but failed to secure regular
first-team football at the Abe Lenstra Stadium in his first two seasons in the club’s senior side.
However, his situation would rapidly improve following the arrival of Jans in 2010 as Narsingh
quickly became an important first-team member under the former Groningen boss.
The former Ajax youngster only really rose to prominence in 2011-12, though, as he formed
one of the best attacking trios of the Eredivisie together with Bas Dost and Oussama Assaidi. Narsingh scored eight times in 34 league appearances - while setting up an additional 20 goals - to help Heerenveen to fifth spot in the table, while also breaking into the
national side in the process.
STEFANDE VRIJ
National team coach Bert van Marwijk included Narsingh in his 23-man squad for Euro
2012, although the winger eventually did not feature in Poland and Ukraine as Oranje
surprisingly crashed out in the group stages. It would not all be disappointment for
the winger that summer, however, as he sealed a move to title candidates PSV shortly after Holland’s shock-exit.
Hailing from the small and religious village of Oudekerk aan den IJssel (a few
miles east of Rotterdam), being a professional footballer wasn’t exactly the
career path that the parents of Feyenoord defender Stefan de Vrij had in my
mind for their son. At first, he wasn’t even allowed to play football since some
of the matches took place on Sunday. Luckily for him, his parents signed him
up at local club VV Spirit at four-years-old.
Narsingh initially struggled to live up to the high expectations in Eindhoven, but
came to life in early November. The winger scored five goals in the last eight Eredivisie games before the winter break, only to then be hit by misfortune. A knee
injury ruled the attacker out for the remainder of the season, thus halting his
progress for now. Nevertheless, there’s little doubt that Narsingh has a bright
future ahead of him.
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Age:
22
When the youngster turned 10,
a friend who lived in the same neighbourhood encouraged him to come with him and participate in a talent day for young
players at the Feyenoord youth academy. His friend got turned down by the club, but they
signed DE VRIJ. Fast-forward 11 years and 21-year-old DE VRIJ is undisputed as a centre-back at
both Feyenoord and Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands national team and is reportedly followed closely by
Liverpool.
DE VRIJ was one of the first-team players participating in this year’s talent day playing alongside
a group of kids he was once part of. “I was always frustrated that Feyenoord scouts never
picked me up at VV Spirit,” he told press bureau GPD. “We had to play against Feyenoord so-
Heig
A GU
ht: 1
DEL
,75 /
J //
/ LU
Date
CIAN
of b
Nemanja Gudelj made
O NA
irth:
RSIN
16.1
his debut for NAC Breda in August
GH
1.19
2010, in a 3-1 defeat to Utrecht. Since that
91
A
ge: 2
day, he has been a first-team regular and a growing
1 H
influence for the North Brabant club. His career may be in its
eig
early stages, but Gudelj has already shown that he is a very versatile and
exciting player.
metimes and obviously put way more effort in those matches hoping that they would pick
me up. But still in the back of your head you knew this wasn’t something for everyone.”
ht: 1
,87
He has been used as a right full-back, central defender, defensive midfielder, central midfielder and attacking midfielder throughout his career. In each of these positions, he has been used for, and further developed, various aspects
of his game. He has been invariably utilised as a centre-back and right-back for Serbia Under 21s to take advantage of
his height (he is 6’2”) as well as his distribution and reading of the game. His strength, control and passing ability have
come in handy when placed in the defensive and central midfield role throughout his first season and a half with NAC.
Then, his speed, passing and goalscoring ability became very important to the Breda side when he was pushed up into
the attacking midfield role, where he has played since his father, Nebojsa, took over as first-team coach in November
2012.
NAC were fighting to avoid the relegation playoffs, but their fortunes changed once Nebojsa was handed first-team
duties and Nemanja was a key part of that in his new position. It was in no way down to nepotism, rather allowing the
youngster the freedom to best utilise his skills to suit the team. His work ethic, speed, strength, control, vision and passing accuracy, which he had developed throughout his earlier years, allowed him to play a more important role for the
team. Gudelj orchestrated play and linked up with Anthony Lurling and wingers Elson Hooi and Rick ten Voorde.
NAC’s performances in the second half of the season saw them clinch safety in the Dutch top
flight and Nemanja’s performances soon saw him linked to Fiorentina, Sevilla and Newcastle United. A move, it seemed, was inevitable. But instead of drifting off to one of the bigger
leagues, Gudelj opted to stay in Holland, joining AZ in the summer for a fee reported to
be around €3 million – a steal. The young Serb will be an important player for the Alkmaar
outfit over the next few years as he continues to develop. They have since lost star attacking
midfielder Adam Maher to PSV. It is expected that Willie Overtoom will move in to fill the void
left by the youngster, meaning Gudelj will return to the centre of midfield, but his versatility
means coach Gertjan Verbeek has a good attacking midfielder ready as back up should the
need arise.
AZ are expected to enjoy a much more prosperous season than their tenth placed
finish last year and an integral part of that will be Gudelj. It’s a step forward for what
promises to be a very exciting career for another Eredivisie youngster.
It was a cup match against amateur giants Harkemase Boys when DE VRIJ finally made his senior
debut at the age of 17. He eventually made it to the starting XI in January 2011 when coach Mario
Been was unhappy with the unstable defence, dropping Brazilian Andre Bahia, also known as ‘the rock
from Rio’. The club was enduring a horrendous season and DE VRIJ instantly impressed alongside
veteran Ron Vlaar.
In the following 2011-2012 season DE VRIJ settled and made name for himself in De Kuip
and at the end of the season was rewarded by finishing second in the league and earning a
place in the national team’s preliminary squad for the 2012 European Championship in Poland and
Ukraine. Although coach Bert van Marwijk preferred Vlaar over the youngster, it was obviously a sign
that he was doing the right thing and had confirmed that he is one of the best centre-backs in the
Eredivisie.
After Vlaar left Feyenoord for Aston Villa in July 2012, DE VRIJ was named captain of the team
at age 20. Although he was injured for the first weeks of the campaign, he got his first cap for the
national team prior to the match against Belgium in August 2012. He did not impress. He looked
hopelessly nervous and didn’t receive another call-up until the friendly against Germany three months
later. Nevertheless, Louis van Gaal most certainly believes in the ability’s of DE VRIJ. He has played
six matches so far and has a good chance of making the final squad for next years World Cup in Brazil. In the meantime, DE VRIJ played a key part in the Netherlands Under 21 team in the Under 21
European Championship. The squad, full of highly rated players, underperformed in the competition,
as they were eliminated in the semi-finals at the hands of Italy.
2012-2013 STATS
0
5
Though he ended the season with an almost broken nose and a bad run of form in the last five
matches, DE VRIJ’s future looks incredibly promising. After signing a new contract, that keeps him
with the Rotterdam side until 2015, he will most likely be a Feyenoorder until the World Cup in 2014.
And if he manages to get game time and impress, it’s time for Feyenoord to cash in.
STEFAN DE VRIJ // Date of birth: 05.02.1992
Age: 21
Height: 1,89
42
games
yellow
cards
Of course, his performances for Feyenoord and the Oranje haven’t gone unnoticed across
Europe. Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers is reportedly very fond of DE VRIJ’s playing style, which
is characterised by his patience and tendency to look for ‘a solution’ rather than resort to playing
the ball long. Like Tottenham Hotspur’s Jan Vertonghen, DE VRIJ can often be found playing at the
centre of the pitch, a trademark of the modern ‘constructive’ centre-back.
0
0
KEVIN
STROOTMAN
When Sparta dropped to the Eerstedivisie after the
2009-10 campaign, it appeared to be inevitable that
they would lose their biggest talents Nick Viergever,
Erik Falkenburg and Kevin Strootman. However,
whereas Viergever and Falkenburg eventually left
the Kasteelclub for AZ, no club was willing to meet
Sparta’s demands for Strootman.
The versatile midfielder had a release clause in his
contract with the Rotterdam outfit that allowed him to leave for €750.000 before July
1 in the summer of 2010 and Twente were seemingly keen to sign him. The transfer eventually fell through, though,
and Sparta consequently increased their asking price to €1.5m, thus scaring off suitors such as Utrecht and ADO
Den Haag.
However, the Rotterdammers opted to cash in on STROOTMAN after all halfway through the 2010-11 campaign due
to their financial problems. After Sparta had offered the midfielder to a number of Eredivisie sides, Utrecht eventually took the bait and lured the Netherlands international to the Galgenwaard for an initial transfer fee of €1m, a
decision they would not regret.
STROOTMAN would develop spectacularly at his new club and his impressive performances in his first month at
Utrecht even prompted national team coach Bert van Marwijk to give him a call-up for the international friendly
against Austria. The left-footed midfielder kept up his fine form until the end of the season and was included in the
Oranje squad for the trip to South America to further illustrate his remarkable rise to prominence.
The friendlies against Brazil and Uruguay would not be the highlight of an interesting summer for STROOTMAN,
though, as his performances at both club and international level had caught the attention of PSV. Utrecht were understandably reluctant to let go of the midfielder just six months after signing him, but eventually opted to sell when
the Eindhoven giants shelled out €13m for STROOTMAN and his Belgian teammate Dries Mertens.
STROOTMAN once more had very little trouble adapting to his new surroundings and immediately became a key figure at PSV in his first season. Although the Eindhoven side missed out on the Eredivisie title, the
23-year-old would end the 2011-12 campaign on a high as PSV beat Heracles in the KNVB Beker final to win the first
major trophy of his career.
2012-2013 STATS
9
11
12
53
assists
games
yellow
cards
0
Nevertheless, STROOTMAN would then be in for the undisputed low of his career so far as Euro 2012 would prove
to be a huge disappointment. Oranje failed in spectacular fashion as they crashed out after losing all three group
games, while STROOTMAN himself didn’t play a single minute at the tournament he had been looking forward to so
much.
The former Sparta starlet dealt well with the disappointment, though, and once again showed in 2012-13 that he has
everything a modern midfielder needs to succeed at the highest level, impressing respected football commentator
Jim Proudfoot with his fine displays alongside mentor Mark van Bommel.
“I’ve always had this vision of STROOTMAN being Van Bommel’s big little brother, salivating as the
curly-haired master cuts someone in half, with an element of hero-worship thrown in as he regards the
destruction,” Proudfoot told Benefoot.
“But there’s far more to his game than that. A range of passing, an engine to die for, and if he picks the
right club to move to a stellar career at the top table.”
Hopefully, STROOTMAN has indeed picked the right club to further his development. PSV reluctantly cashed in
on the midfielder in the summer, selling him to AS Roma for €20m. He moves to a Giallorossi side which has
undergone a lot of changes in recent years and is ready to embark on a new adventure under new coach
Rudi Garcia. STROOTMAN will need to settle in and adapt to his new side and new league quickly. With such a
large transfer fee and the hype surrounding him, the pressure is on STROOTMAN to perform and show that he is
capable of playing at an even higher level.
KEVIN STROOTMAN // Date of birth: 13.02.1990
Age: 23
Height: 1,87
NALDUM
GEORGINIO WIJ
90
11.11.19
Date of birth:
ght: 1,75
Age: 22 Hei
Born in Veendam, in the North of the Netherlands, goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet was 15 when a
couple of professional clubs came around to scout him. Instead of choosing the nearest option
in FC Groningen, he decided to join the youth set-up of PSV, where he was carefully nourished.
Going through all youth ranks of the Netherlands as well, this was clearly a kid with a great
future.
The 4-0 trashing at the hands of FC Groningen in
2006-2007 will hardly be fondly remembered by any
Feyenoord supporter, but it was in that game that
the ‘Feyenoord youth revolution’ kicked off.
Young Georginio Wijnaldum, only 16 years
and 148 days old, made his debut and was
probably the sole highlight of the game for
the Rotterdammers, becoming the youngest
Feyenoord debutant ever and turning in a
performance that earned him
a ‘Man of the Match’ award.
When the time finally came in 2011, ZOET would be contending for a place in the first-team of PSV, choices for others were
made. Manager Fred Rutten and technical manager Marcel Brands loaned ZOET out to promoted RKC Waalwijk, and
surprisingly, young Polish keeper Premyszlaw Tyton was signed from Roda JC to compete with the Swedish international but
unconvincing Andreas Isaksson. While PSV struggled with their goalkeepers, ZOET started out impressively for the team
of Ruud Brood. RKC were the surprise package of the season and it was ZOET, together with midfielder Evander Sno, who
took most plaudits. RKC finished 9th and was close to European football, losing the final of the Europa League play-offs to
Vitesse.
When Andreas Isaksson left, again it was
expected ZOET would be allowed to battle for
a place in the first-team, but new manager
Dick Advocaat signed Boy Waterman and again,
ZOET was shipped out to the Waalwijk outfit, where
he continued his progress under new manager Erwin Koeman.
A call-up for the Dutch national team (in favour of for instance
the aforementioned Waterman) was a well-deserved reward for
his development. The season for RKC wasn’t as prosperous as the
previous one, as they had to battle relegation and it was thanks to
the strong performances of their young goalkeeper they eventually were
kept up. At PSV meanwhile, Advocaat announced he would leave at the end
of the season and would be succeeded by Cocu, who would keep an eye on
youth breaking through. ZOET is an integral part of this. After two years of
gaining experience, ZOET is finally told to ‘go for it’ at PSV, and he sure will.
One of Europe’s most promising goalkeepers and the number one for Oranje
Under 21s, ZOET is about to fulfil his promise.
WIJNALDUM’s inclusion in the team was testament to the lack of money at the club (they were in a mountain of debt)
and the lack of quality in the squad. His pace, technique and his candid way of playing gave the Feyenoord faithful some
hope in very dark days.
Gradually breaking into the first-team at a young age, WIJNALDUM has always looked the biggest talent of his generation. A Sparta youth product, Feyenoord snatched him away at the age of 13. After his debut, he was consistently
the bright light in gloomy days for Feyenoord in where even relegation seemed a far-fetched, but real option. The undoubted low was the 10-0 trashing at PSV on 24th October 2010. A rarely seen humiliation, leaving a very young Feyenoord
team crying on the pitch. They reacted well, though, beating VVV Venlo at home a few days later and WIJNALDUM was
instrumental, scoring two goals in an emotional 4-2 victory. In the rest of the season, the triumvirate WIJNALDUM –
Fer – Castaignos ensured Feyenoord rose from the death, with young Georginio weighing in with an impressive 14 league
goals. The trio was sold to improve the financial state of the club, with WIJNALDUM joining PSV. Although the pacey
midfielder sees himself as a playmaker, he has been mainly used as a right winger. He impressed and earned his first
cap against San Marino on 2nd September 2011, where he was substituted in for Strootman in the 86th minute and
crowning his debut with a goal (11-0). He has come under scrutiny recently when he played in the playmaker role for PSV,
but nonetheless, at 22 with already 176 league appearances to his name, he is on his way to a bright future in European
football.
A new generation of Dutch defenders is rising in the Eredivisie and young Mike van der Hoorn is one of them.
After Alje Schut left Utrecht last summer to join the South African side Mamelodi Sundowns, fans of the side
from Domstad were worried that the obscure travesty that is Marcus Nilsson, who arrived from Sweden in
2011 and couldn’t exactly deliver, would take over his place. Jan Wouters, Utrecht’s assistant-turned-manager,
knew better though and promoted Van der Hoorn from the youth team.
In the beginning, people were sceptical about throwing a youngster into the Eredivisie depth like that but it turned out quite well for an astronomical Utrecht, with the centre-back becoming one of their stand-out players in a remarkable season. The 20-year-old managed to play 31
games and score four goals, on par with seasoned forwards Cedric van der Gun and Édouard Duplan, and recorded some very good
statistics along the way.
In his first season at the highest level, Van der Hoorn won 65% of his duels (113) and completed 77% of all his passes (1344). Add to that his
height (he stands at 6’3”) and threat at corner kicks and it’s no surprise he was called up by Cor Pot for the Dutch squad for the Under 21 European Championship, along with other defensive talents like Bram Nuytinck, Bruno Martins Indi and Stefan de Vrij.
At the end of the season, after Utrecht’s last game against Heracles, he was even rewarded with the David di Tomasso trophy by the Utrecht
crowd, which is the club’s Player of the Year award. Another indication of the fine debut season the young defender has played under Wouters.
Knowing all these things and having seen his powerful, ruthless defensive style a few times, one knows it’s no surprise Ajax came knocking in
the summer and managed to pick him up for €3.8 million to replace the outgoing Toby Alderweireld. Under head coach Frank de Boer and
defensive coach Jaap Stam, the youngster will further develop his skills and strengthen his weaknesses to become an all-round better defender.
MIKE VAN DER HOORN // Date of birth:31.10.1992
Age: 20
Height: 1,88
JEROEN ZOET
Date of birth: 06
.01.1991
Age: 22 Heigh
t: 1,89
VIRGIL
VAN DIJK
VIKTOR
FISCHER
From a club that has unearthed the talents of Sami Hyppia
and Jaap Stam, you’d expect them to recognize a good defender when they
see one. Unfortunately for recently relegated Willem II, they didn’t. Virgil
Van Dijk, a Breda-born, tall and athletic boy in a man’s body was impressing
for the reserves of the Tilburg club, but had to wait very long before being
offered a contract. By the time Willem II realised they had a gem in their
hands, they had already lost him. FC Groningen did see the talent of Van Dijk
and snapped him up for free.
Every season a new exciting prospect will break through from the famous Ajax
academy. Last season it was a young Dane: Viktor Fischer. Fischer has always
been the best of his generation. As a 10-year-old he played with kids who were
two years older. Do not think it was a struggle for young Viktor. He banged in
81 goals in one season. His velvet technique, natural movements and passion
for the game caught the eye.
In his first year at Groningen, the season of 2010-2011, he did take quite some time to settle in.
It was only at the end of the year when Pieter Huistra decided to give the then 19-year-old some
playing time. On 1st April, he made his debut against ADO Den Haag (4-2), replacing Petter Andersson 15 minutes from time. An unremarkable debut, but only a month later, he would splash
onto the scene against the same team. ADO and Groningen were facing each other in the play-offs
for UEFA Cup football and the first-leg didn’t go well at all for the Groningers. They were hung out
to dry, losing 5-1 and a miracle was needed to qualify for Europe.
Despite interest from the clubs that are among the biggest in Europe, it was ultimately an easy decision for FISCHER to sign for Ajax as a 16-year-old. He had trials at Manchester City, Chelsea and
Inter Milan but when Ajax stepped in, his mind was immediately made up as he opted to join the
Amsterdam giants to ensure he develop as a player and get game time under his belt.
In the return leg, all of a sudden there was a tall player readying himself for kick-off. Virgil VAN
DIJK was the surprise inclusion of manager Huistra as he was used as a battering ram/target man
up front. The result was devastating. With two goals (a free kick and a toe poke) and an impressive
all-round performance, VAN DIJK helped his team to a 5-1 victory, only to be knocked out on penalties in the end. Was he a striker? A defender? The Groningen fans didn’t know yet, but embraced
their new found gem immediately.
FISCHER joined the U19’s in his first year at Ajax. The Dane made a great impact in the Next Gen
Series, scoring two goals against Barcelona in the quarter-finals and a hat-trick against Liverpool in
the semis. From that moment, the Ajax fans knew the club had another fantastic prospect on their
hands. His quick development was the reason for Ajax manager Frank de Boer to add him to the
first-team for the 2012-13 campaign. He has made an impeccable impact in his first campaign as
a senior player. He scored one goal for Ajax in a 3-1 win over PSV, grabbing an assist in the same
match and then a further two assists against fierce rivals Feyenoord (3-0). As a reward he received
the Talent of the Year award from his mentor De Boer. His sublime lob against NEC Nijmegen was
also voted as Ajax’s goal of the season.
Despite the fact that his development has gone as fast as a rocket, it hasn’t only been praise for
the 18-year-old. De Boer has been critical of him more than once. One of his weaknesses is that he
has to be more alert when Ajax lose the ball. His reaction time is sometimes too slow for the level
he’s playing at. He can be too casual at times. Another thing he has to improve on knowing when
to take on a defender or when to pass the ball to a team mate. It appears to happen often that
FISCHER loses the ball a bit too easily for a player playing at the top level. At 18, though, he can
go on to correct these errors to become the player he wants to be.
There will always be more positivity around him than negativity, though. FISCHER is a technically
and offensively oriented player who’s always trying to go forward. Scoring goals is second nature;
he regularly finds the net with ease. The Dane’s composure is great for someone so young, leading
many observers to believe that finishing is his strongest asset. Another strong point of his is that he
doesn’t only create space for himself on the pitch, but also for his team mates.
Position-wise he’s a wide playmaker who acts like a deep-lying forward. Combined with the system
at Ajax – lots of positional interchange and movement in a flexible 4-3-3 – FISCHER’s natural ability means he’s allowed to float between the lines and move into space vacated by a teammate.
His willingness to learn and constantly improve is refreshing to see. FISCHER knows he’s good, but
calling him arrogant would be wide of the mark. He’s still just a boy from Aarhus. Fame and fortune
haven’t skewered him. Playing football remains a privilege, one he’s fortunate
to have. Ajax and the rest of the world will go on to enjoy
this young man for a long, long time.
VIKTOR FISCHER // Date of birth: 09.06.1994
Age: 19
At the start of next season, Huistra left him out of the starting XI, something that was not appreciated by the Groningen faithful. When he finally did get his chance due to an injury of Belgian
defender Jonas Ivens, he took it with conviction. From that moment on, he was never out of the
first-team and it became rather apparent VAN DIJK was a central defender. As the season wore
on, Groningen dipped in form dramatically, leading to Huistra’s resignation. VAN DIJK however was
one of the few bright lights for the Green-White Army. It led to some interest from Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United among others and VAN DIJK was handed his debut for the Netherlands
Under 21 team.
2012-2013 STATS
12
goals
2
Height: 1,80
6
38
games
assits
0
The summer of 2012 was a low for the young defender, and it had nothing to do with football.
VAN DIJK was hit by acute appendicitis, peritonitis and a poisoning of the kidneys all at once,
but it wasn’t diagnosed by the doctors and VAN DIJK wasn’t sure of his life for a while. “I had to
sign a will to make sure my belongings would go to my mother. – I’ve seen death in the
eyes and it wasn’t pretty.” VAN DIJK rode his luck and recovered successfully and went on to
become one of the best defenders in the land, finishing seventh with Groningen under new manager
Robert Maaskant and he was chosen for Goal.com’s team of the year as well as that of De Telegraaf,
finishing 8th in the latter’s Player of the Year competition. René Van der Gijp, Dutch football’s funny
man but respected analyst, described him as a phenomenon and hailed him as the biggest defensive talent of his generation.
A move in the summer of 2013 seemed imminent, and it came in June when he signed a four-year
contract with Scottish champions Celtic. The defender revealed that there were other teams interested in him, but added that Celtic were the only team to make an official approach. His length,
pace, power, composure, vision and thunderous right foot make him a complete man marker and a
skilful ‘free defender’ and will serve him well in Scotland, where he will experience a totally different style than he is used to in Holland. The move to Neil Lennon’s side will see VAN DIJK develop
further and experience European football as he prepares to make another step up to an even higher
level. Will VAN DIJK follow the path of illustrious predecessors such as Ronald Koeman, John De
Wolf and Adri Van Tiggelen, who all played for FC Groningen on their way to the top? He just might.
VIRGIL VAN DIJK // Date of birth: 08.07.1991
Age: 22
2012-2013 STATS
3
2
7
39
assits
games
yellow
cards
Height: 1,93
1
“A more complete version of Edgar Davids,” is how former
Ajax and Anderlecht coach Aad de Mos described 18-year-old
Feyenoord youngster Tonny Vilhena when asked who the biggest
talents were in the Eredivisie. Ending the season with a call-up
to the Netherlands national team and four goals and one assist
in 27 matches, Vilhena’s season seems more than decent for
a central midfielder. However, this was not purely the result of
effort and hard work.
Fellow midfielder Kelvin Leerdam refused to sign an extension on his contract
which expired at the end 2012-13 season and was benched by coach Ronald Koeman in September of that season. This created space for the Feyenoord youngster
and resulted in a season where VILHENA was praised for his pace, ball control
and incredible left foot. His first goal against Willem II in February showed all of
these features with a sublime combination with Graziano Pellè before he rushed
trough the Willem II defence, controlled the ball with his head and volleyed it into
the top corner.
VILHENA is potentially the best product of the highly regarded Feyenoord
youth academy. The Maasluis (a small town west of Rotterdam) born player
joined the Feyenoord youth ranks at eight-years-old and impressed at age 17
when playing his second match for the club against FC Twente in the 2011-2012
season. Swirling around the centre of the pitch and directing his teammates,
VILHENA showed the world what he has in prospect. A unique Eredivisie player
displaying what box-to-box is.
It is said that VILHENA, when playing at the Varkenoord Academy, could often be
seen crying at the sideline after losing a match. “This kid is going to be a really
big player,” Feyenoord legend Willem van Hanegem said earlier this season.
// Age: 18
TONNY VILHENA
ate of birth: 03.01.1995
Height: 1,75
“There are loads of top clubs wanting to sign this kid already. And believe
me, he will leave in a few years.”
Ajax’s young defender Ricardo van Rhijn emerged in the first-team halfway
through the 2011-12 season as a centre-back when he replaced the
injured Toby Alderweireld. A few weeks later, however, he would be moved
into his natural position when Gregory van der Wiel picked up a groin
strain.
The latter, an established Netherlands international who had been linked to some top teams in
Europe throughout the preceding 12 months, had received a lot of criticism that year for several below-par performances and made no secret of his desire to leave the club. His injury at the
halfway point in the season saw 20-year-old VAN RHIJN promoted from the youth side into the
first-team, and the youngster became an instant hit with the Ajax faithful. It was rather obvious
upon first viewing that the De Toekomst graduate was the perfect replacement for Van der Wiel,
whose departure was imminent.
In his first appearance in an Ajax jersey, it became clear that VAN RHIJN was a very talented
young player. He was very similar to Van der Wiel, but evidently more focused than his predecessor who appeared to have several distractions in the form of hip-hop music and his clothes. At the
end of that first season, VAN RHIJN was given the Ajax Young Player of the Year Award for his
promising displays and improvement in the senior squad and in the Ajax youth team.
Following Van der Wiel’s departure after three weeks of the 2012-13 campaign, VAN
RHIJN stepped up to become the reigning Eredivisie champions’ first choice right-back. Although
he is perhaps rather negligent when it comes to defensive work, with his speed, attacking mind
and crossing ability, he made Ajax fans forget about Van der Wiel immediately. Some would even
suggest he is showing greater potential and can go on to develop beyond his former teammate.
In fact, VAN RHIJN has already displaced the PSG player in the national team. Van der Wiel
has not been called up to the squad since his dismal displays and conduct in the 2012 European
Championship, whereas VAN RHIJN has already made six appearances for the Oranje and
been involved in the squad a few more times under Louis van Gaal.
VAN RHIJN was already 20-years-old by the time he made his league debut for Ajax, which
is later than many break into the first team in Holland, but he has blossomed into a top player
already, playing a massive role in their retention of the title last season. He has developed
immensely since that first showing in December 2011 and there are no signs that he will stop
improving any time soon.
RICARDO VAN RHIJN // Date of birth: 13.06.1991
Age: 22
Height: 1,83