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1.
Name: Arjen Robben
Born: 23-01-84 (21 years old)
Position: Left wing
Club: Chelsea FC
Previous clubs: Bedum, FC Groningen, PSV
Comment: During the 2003/2004 season Arjen Robben had already
established himself as one the best players of the Eredivisie. At Euro 2004 the
rest of the world was introduced to his unequivocal skill, which left many in
eager anticipation of the start of the Premiership. His debut was delayed, as
an injury spell prevented him from playing at the start of the competition,
however many feel that Robben is greatly responsible for the success Chelsea is currently
enjoying. He made his competition debut at the age of 16, four years ago and
has never ceased to impress. His trademark rushes and fantastic dribbles have
even prompted comparisons to Johan Cruijff himself. Although this might be a
tad premature, one cannot deny the enormous talent Robben has.
2.
Name: Wesley Sneijder
Born: 09-06-84 (20 years old)
Position: Right centre midfield
Club: Ajax
Previous club: DOS
Comment: When Wesley Sneijder made his debut 2 years ago he was almost
instantaneously dubbed as a prospective Dutch international. His international
debut came 7 matches later at the tender of 17. Seven months later he was Holland's national hero as
he single handedly (1 goal, 3 assists) assured Holland of a ticket to Euro
2004. Within a time span of 10 months he had worked his way up from a reserve
team player to a national hero. At Euro 2004, he was allowed to exhibit his
talents at the highest level for the first time. However, he was forced to
watch most of the tournament from the bench. With an unprecedented drive and
determination Sneijder found this very difficult. This can be noted as,
probably, his only weakness, his impatience. He is an extremely versatile player
who is as good with his right as with his left leg and he can be utilized
anywhere on the midfield as well as behind the strikers as a centre forward.
With his piledriver shots from outside the box and exquisite dribbling skills he
is very difficult to defend. He is currently Holland's greatest talent on midfield.
3.
Name: Rafael van der Vaart
Born: 11-02-83 (21 years old)
Position: Left centre midfield
Club: Ajax
Previous club: De Kennemers
Comment: For some time now Rafael van der Vaart has been the subject of
debate. He hasn't performed as well as he did at the start of his career, and
this has led to widespread speculation about the cause of this problem. His
fleeting performance on the pitch is often attributed to his relationship with
a popular Dutch actress or a slight overweight problem. Although this could all
be dismissed as conjecture, the fact remains that van der Vaart is now no longer
the captain of Ajax and Wesley Sneijder has moved up a notch in the Ajax
pecking order at his expense (Sneijder is now preferred above him in the first
team line-up). Be this as it may, what people often fail to realize is that he
has been a regular player with the Dutch national squad for over 3 years now,
and is currently in his 6th year in the first team of Ajax, all at the age of
21! People are quick to write players off, but although van der Vaart has the
demeanor of a seasoned veteran his career is yet to start. When in form he
frequently exhibits beautiful flicks, dribbles, pin point passes and majestic goals.
When he sheds his current form crisis he will undoubtedly dazzle us with these
feats once again, as he is potentially one of the greatest players in the
world.
4.
Name: Robin van Persie
Born: 06-08-83 (21 years old)
Position: Left wing
Club: Arsenal FC
Previous clubs: Excelsior, Feyenoord
Comment: Robin van Persie has since the very beginning of his
professional career been labeled as an enfant terrible and not without reason.
Lucky for him though the controversy around his person matches the skill he
exhibits on the field. He started his career 3 years ago and won the UEFA cup
just months after his first team debut. His career is ridden with incidents
that should, in my humble opinion, be attributed to impetuousness and ambition
rather than arrogance. Marco van Basten, however, was not amused when a bemused
van Persie made it very clear he was not happy with a place in the dug out
during a friendly match versus Sweden last summer. This confirmed van Persie's reputation
with van Basten and he immediately demoted him to the U-21 squad, where he was
named captain almost instantaneously. His dribbles, passes, rushes and
free-kicks have earned him a regular first team place with Arsenal and he is
now, once again selected for the national squad.
5.
Name: John Heitinga
Born: 15-11-83 (21 years old)
Position: Centre back
Club: Ajax
Previous club: ARC
Comment: Like most great players Johnny Heitinga's talent was evident at
a very young age. He joined Ajax at the age of 8 and he has excelled ever since,
winning the prestigious Ajax youth talent of the year award in 2001 and adding
the KNVB talent of the year award to his personal honours last year. He is,
however, still considered to be a talent. This is due to the fact that he
sustained a knee injury in September 2002, keeping him off the pitch for over a
year. When he came back into the squad in October 2003, he came back with a
vengeance and openly solicited for a place in the national squad. His
relentless determination paid off and Heitinga managed to keep veteran defender
Frank De Boer out of the starting line-up at Euro 2004. He has since been a
regular fixture with Ajax and the national squad as both a defender and a defensive
midfielder. He has the ability to read the game, is uncompromising in one on one
situations, is a good header of the ball and has good leadership qualities, he
is in short an omnipotent player with a very bright future.
6.
Name: Nigel de Jong
Born: 30-11-84 (20 years old)
Position: Right wing back
Club: Ajax
Previous club: Neerlandia
Comment: He is the son of former Dutch international Jerry de Jong, but
it can already be said that his talent surpasses that of his father by far. He
made his competition debut at the age of 17 in October 2002. The proverbial
pivotal moment in his career came but a few months later, when he scored the
equalizing goal in the Champions league against Arsenal in February of 2003.
This goal did not only gain him international acclaim, but also gave Ronald
Koeman the final incentive he needed to give Nigel a permanent place in the
first team. Since then, Nigel de Jong has become a permanent fixture in the Ajax line-up and, after
having regrettably missed out on Euro 2004, has become a permanent fixture in
the national team as well as the natural replacement of Michael Reiziger, who
has since retired. He is, as mentioned above, a right wing back, but more
often utilized as a defensive midfielder this year. His greatest offensive assets
are his speed and his ability to get passed his opponents not to mention his
defensive qualities. He drives opponents crazy as his speed enables him to
catch up with players if they get passed him, that is to say 'if' they get
passed him. He is a very disciplined and meticulous defender with the tenacity
of a rottweiler, which has led to the unavoidable comparison with our national
pittbull Edgar Davids. He has the potential to make it to the very top and I
expect he will play abroad with a topclub in the future.
7.
Name: Romeo Castelen
Born: 3-5-83 (21 years old)
Position: Right wing
Club: Feyenoord
Previous clubs: ADO Den Haag
Comment: Raised in Amsterdam, but playing with the city's arch-rivals Feyenoord Rotterdam. A
predicament his coach Ruud Gullit can relate to as he once found himself in the
same situation. However, Ajax have themselves to blame for missing out on the talented winger, as he already exhibited his talents in the streets of
Amsterdam, as a young urchin with the likes of Kluivert and Davids. Instead he went to the nation's political
capital Den Haag to sign with ADO. He played with Den Haag for seven years, making his
professional debut at the age of 18. He signed with Feyenoord in the summer of
2004 after 4 years with Den Haag's first team squad. His transfer from a
mid-table club to a top-club coincided with an unexpected promotion from the
U-21 national side to the full Dutch national side, as Marco van Basten felt
his selection was ready for a whiff of fresh air. As if these changes were not
enough, his performances with the national squad and Feyenoord also prompted a
number of European top sides to take a keen interest in the neo international,
however Castelen does not seem to be phased in the least by his new found fame.
As a right winger Castelen has good dribbling qualities, a powerful shot, tremendous
speed and good stamina. His passes are not always on target, but this is
possibly is his only con. If he continues his current form, he will remain as a
permanent fixture in the national squad for years to come.
8.
Name: Ryan Babel
Born: 19-12-86 (18 years old)
Position: Striker
Club: Ajax
Previous clubs: SV Diemen, Fortius
Comment: The latest player to come from the Ajax Youth Academy assembly line. His
style and grace are reminiscent of Patrick Kluivert, but his goal scoring
abilities are more aptly described when compared with the likes of Mario
Jardel, Ruud van Nistelrooy or Mateja Kezman. Having already made his debut in
February of last year, it took Ronald Koeman 9 months to call him up once
again. He had some disciplinary problems, which resulted in his fall-out and
subsequent dismissal by (then) Holland U-19 coach Ruud Gullit. This was
probably the ultimate low point he descended to in this period and it would
also take quite a while for him to get called back to the first team of Ajax again. Then on
November 20th 2004 Babel got his long awaited opportunity as he came on as a
substitute against De Graafschap. Two minutes into the game he made an
immediate impact scoring a piledriver of a goal from a distance of 25 meters.
So far this season he has scored 5 goals in 5 competition matches having made
his debut in the Champions League against Juventus as well. He is strong,
tall, fast, good in the air, has fantastic dribbling skills and a powerful yet
accurate shot. He has also got flair which he demonstrates with great vigor
when he makes his trademark multiple summersaults each time he scores a goal. He
has got a great future ahead of him.
9.
Name: Klaas Jan Huntelaar
Born: 12-8-83 (21 years old)
Position: Striker
Club: SC Heerenveen
Previous clubs: H&K, PSV, De Graafschap, AGOVV
Comment: Is the greatest talent to come out of the PSV youth academy of
the passed 10 years, but in true club tradition was not given the opportunity
to proliferate himself in the first team. Soon after Huntelaar made his first
team debut with PSV in 2002, he was sent out on a loan spell with De Graafschap
where he played 9 matches, most of which as a substitute, and scored no goals.
In the subsequent season he was sent on a loan to 1st division
outfit AGOVV. This venture into the nether regions of Dutch football proved to
be a slightly more successful one, as he scored 26 goals in 35 matches. His
accomplishments did not go unnoticed as a number of Eredivisie sides were keen
on ensuring themselves of his services of which Heerenveen were the eventual
lucky suitors moving him right back into the Eredivisie after just 1 year.
Currently Huntelaar is second to Dirk Kuijt in the Dutch top scorers list with
11 goals in 17 matches. He is a lanky player, with more technical abilities
than you would give him credit for, he is surprisingly strong and has a good
shot as well. Perhaps his greatest asset is his aerial ability as he scores a lot
of his goals with his head. He is, at current, a regular fixture in the U-21
squad and is quite possibly the best target man of his generation.
10.
Name: Collins John
Born: 17-10-85 (19 years old)
Position: Striker
Club: Fulham FC
Previous club: FC Twente
Comment: Born in Zwandru Liberia Collins John fell victim to the
atrocities of war at a young age. After his father was killed, his mother fled
the country taking her two sons with her. Their journey led them to the Netherlands, which has since
been the home of the John family. He and his brother Paddy were the prodigal football
stars at the refugee center near Enschede and their talents were soon noticed
by local club FC Twente. His experiences in his home country have made him a
precocious and determined player rather than a jaded youth. He made his debut
with FC Twente at the age of 17 in November of 2002 and 35 matches and 11 goals
later he earned a transfer to Premiership outfit Fulham FC. He is a regular
substitute with Fulham, but considering his age this is nothing to be ashamed
of. In the summer of 2004 he earned his first cap as well, he went on to play
once more for Holland in a friendly against Liechtenstein. He has since been a
regular fixture within the U-21 side line-up. Prior to his Dutch call up he had
never even played for the U-21 side, which gives him the distinct honor of
being the only full international within the U-21 side. His qualities are his;
determination, endurance, strength, aerial ability, powerful shot, speed and
accuracy. His passing game could use a little work, but as a striker he has got
his prerequisite goal scoring skills well in order.
11.
Name: Nick Hofs
Born: 17-5-83 (21 years old)
Position: Right midfield
Club: Feyenoord
Previous clubs: Arnhemse Boys, Vitesse 1892, Vitesse
Comment: The greatest talent to come out of the Vitesse Youth Academy
since Theo Janssen and where Janssen's meteoric growth has stagnated somewhat,
Hofs has capitalized on his current status by making his move to greener
pastures. His diminutive demeanor has forced him to give the full 100% in every
match from an early age on. The sober, work ethic club culture of Feyenoord
makes it the perfect match for the young tough tackling midfielder. His
tenacity and ferocious determination are his trademark assets. Although Hofs'
free kicks and his incredible passing game are skills that cannot be denied
either. He has scored quite a few goals from set piece situations and his field
goals are often scored from a great distance as well. He is a regular with the
U-21 side of Foppe de Haan, and has earned a first team place with Ruud
Gullit's Feyenoord upon arrival as well. In short, a very talented midfielder.
12.
Name: Moubarak Boussoufa
Born: 15-8-84 (20 years old)
Position: Centre forward
Club: AA Gent (Bel)
Previous clubs: Ajax, Chelsea FC
Comment: A great player of Moroccan descent whose talents have gone
widely unnoticed in the Netherlands. He was asked to leave Ajax because of his height (1.66 m) and
was told that due to his slight physique they believed he did not have a future
in professional football. Boussoufa, of course, rightly ignored this 'advice'
and went on trial with Chelsea where he was admitted to the club's youth program. His
dribbling skills, flair and explosive rushes gained him great acclaim from his
coaches, but never earned him a spot in the first team line-up. This prospect
was further thwarted when Roman Abramovich put Chelsea in the lucrative
financial position it finds itself in right now. This is so, because money is
no longer an object and players can be bought without being confined by
financial constraints, which is a not so lucrative development for Chelsea's youth Academy. Boussoufa,
blatantly aware of this situation, weighed his options and chose for a departure from the recreation ground at Aldershot.
AA Gent, were quick to sign him last summer (2004) and haven't had a moment of regret since. He is the revelation of
the Jupiler League. He has scored 4 goals in 15 matches and has won the hearts
and respect of the Belgian people in a very brief period. I wouldn't be
surprised if he would receive an invitation from either Foppe de Haan (U-21) or
Marco van Basten very soon.
13.
Name: Daniël de Ridder
Born: 06-03-84 (20 years old)
Position: Right wing
Club: Ajax
Previous club: AFC
Comment: At current he is a fringe player with the first team squad of Ajax and a regular
fixture with the reserves. He made his debut last year, making quite an impact in De Arena with his flashing dribbles and tremendous pace. The general
consensus was that Ajax now had their own Arjen Robben, but he has had some set backs
since and his growth was further thwarted by the arrival of Argentinian
international/Olympic gold medalist Mauro Rosales. In comparison to his
contemporaries; van der Vaart, Sneijder, Heitinga and de Jong who are now full
internationals, de Ridder seems to have fallen somewhat behind. This is,
however, an unfair comparison as their rise to fame has been astronomical and
has also coincided with a lot of retirements within the national team. He is
currently a regular with the U-21 squad, where coach Foppe de Haan has heralded
him to be one of the greatest prospects of his team. This statement is by no
means an exaggeration.
14.
Name: Gianni Zuiverloon
Born: 30-12-86 (18 years old)
Position: Left back
Club: Feyenoord
Previous clubs: -
Comment: When he was 6 years old little Gianni wanted to play football.
His mother picked up the yellow pages and called the first club she could find,
which just so happened to be Feyenoord. He has played with Feyenoord ever
since. This year he was first called to the first team, but after careful
deliberation between the club and his parents it was decided that he will not
be a full fledged member of the first team just yet. He will first obtain his
high-school diploma, a sensible decision although his skills on the pitch will
more than provide him with his keep for the rest of his life. He has played 5
matches with Feyenoord and is a regular with the U-19 squad. He is Feyenoord's greatest
talent, since Robin van Persie.
15.
Name: Mounir el Hamdaoui
Born: 14-7-84 (20 years old)
Position: Right forward
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Previous club: Excelsior
Comment: Another perfect example of the failing transfer policy at
Feyenoord. The street football adept from Rotterdam has been considered to be a massive
talent for some years, emerging from the youth side of Feyenoord's feeder club
Excelsior. Feyenoord has first dibs on every Excelsior player, but failed to
capitalize on this privilege by allowing Excelsior's top scorer of two years to
depart to Tottenham Hotspur. Although Feyenoord will most certainly regret
allowing El Hamdaoui slip through their fingers, Tottenham will be enjoying the
skills of the Dutch/Moroccan forward for years to come. On the advice of el
Hamdaoui's personal friend Robin van Persie, U-21 coach Foppe de Haan called
him up for the match against his contemporaries from Moldavia in October and he
distinguished himself in a positive sense. He is good dribbler of the ball, has
an uncanny ability to get passed his opponents and allows his team mates to get
in goal scoring positions.
16.
Name: Rick Kruys
Born: 9-5-85 (19 years old)
Position: Right centre midfield
Club: FC Utrecht
Previous clubs: Holland, Elinkwijk
Comment: Rick Kruys hails from a football family as he is the son of
former Utrecht player Gert Kruys.
He made his debut in 2003 at the age of 18, however he has been lingering
between the reserves and the first team until his definitive breakthrough came
this year. The moment that marked his breakthrough was a thundering strike from
outside the 16 yard box that gave Utrecht the victory over De Graafschap late
November. He came in as a substitute in the 81st minute and scored a
minute later which cast the verdict over his father's (who is coach at De
Graafschap) side. He has since then become a permanent fixture in the Utrecht line-up and is also
part of the Dutch U-20 side. He has a good shot, an accurate pass and is the
number 1 in the Utrecht free kick pecking order.
17.
Name: Quincy Owusu Abeyie
Born: 15-4-86 (18 years old)
Position: Striker
Club: Arsenal
Previous club: Ajax
Comment: One of Arsenal's greatest talents and a product of the Ajax school of
excellence. Although his transfer from Ajax in 2002 has recently been the cause of a
£10,000 fine and a pending transfer ban. Owusu's agent did not have the
required documentation. Apart from this unpleasant incident Arsenal have no
cause for regret in bringing the striker to Highbury. He has already made his
debut in the F.A. Cup, Carling Cup and the Champions League, but is yet to make
his Premier League debut. This is, however, just a matter of time. A member of
the U-19 squad, he is; a technically adept player, a team player and has great
goal scoring abilities.
18.
Name: Boy Waterman
Born: 24-1-84 (21 years old)
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: SC Heerenveen
Previous clubs: SV Lelystad, Ajax
Comment: He is the goal keeper of the Dutch U-21 squad. He also started
off this season as the first team goalie at Heerenveen and was the sole cause
for the departure of, now Ajax goalkeeper, Hans Vonk. He was forced to take a step back,
however, when he sustained an injury during the season. To make matters worse
and to his detriment his replacement Vandenbussche did very well. This is not
disastrous considering his age and the long football life span bestowed upon
goalkeepers. He spent his entire youth at Ajax and left in 2002 as Ajax was, and is, fully
stocked on goalkeepers. He is still good friends with Ajax contemporary Nigel
De Jong. Among his many qualities his; reflexes, aerial presence and leader qualities
are his most notable feats. He has great potential.
19.
Name: Hedwiges Maduro
Born: 13-2-85 (19 years old)
Position: Centre back
Club: Ajax
Previous clubs: Waterwijk, FC Omniworld
Comment: Ajax's youth talent of the year 2004 scoring 17 goals in 24 matches
for the Ajax A1 (U-18) side. Not bad for a defender! He and contemporary
talents Urby Emanuelson (another great Dutch talent) and Rasmus Lindgren are off
and on members of the first team of Ajax, but he is yet to make his competition debut.
He is a regular fixture with the Ajax reserves and the Holland U-20 side. If he
gets the opportunity to proliferate himself at the highest level, he will prove
to be a fine addition to the first team. He has all the hallmarks of a good
defender, i.e.; a strong physique, tall, he is good with his head and has good
positioning abilities, which compensates for his lack of speed. He is a very gifted
defensive talent.
20.
Name: Robbin Kieft
Born: 22-5-87 (17 years old)
Position: Striker
Club: Ajax
Previous club: AFC
Comment: Son of the legendary Dutch international Wim Kieft, who put Holland through to the semi
finals with his header against Ireland at Euro 88. Although he does not resemble his father in
his looks, he has inherited his goal scoring abilities. Was topscorer in the B1
(under 17) youth competition last year and is currently playing in the Ajax A2
(under 18). He is a tall and commanding striker with good skills on the ball.
He is believed to be a huge prospect for the future.
Mike F. Dam
With thanks to Philip G. Dam
(01/02/2005)
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