Top 5 prospects in Dutch Football

In this new series of Top Fives, I will be looking at the top five prospects from each of the major footballing nations. To be regarded as a ‘prospect’ for inclusion in this list the players must still be developing and not yet regular first team internationals. There is no age restriction as such but the focus will by and large be on players who have established a reputation but still have potential to unlock. I’ll have a look at their strengths and weaknesses and offer a comparison to a star player.

First was Spain, now their 2010 World Cup Final opponents Holland.

Kevin Strootman (PSV, 23)

Background

Strootman learned his trade at Sparta Rotterdam before a brief spell at Utrecht alerted PSV to his talents.

Position

Strootman is a pure box to box central midfielder. He can play deeper if needed but to best use his talents he needs license to roam around.

Strengths

Strootman is absolutely relentless and is a big physically imposing presence in midfield. He is a long strider who seems to eat ground with a Vieira-like ease. He is a ferocious leader and has uncanny determination which saw him drag an inconsistent PSV to be runners up in last season’s Eredivisie. He scored 6 and made 10 goals in 32 games domestically and his rates of goal involvement have gone up year on year throughout his career. He is an intelligent player, always well positioned and involved in the game.

Weaknesses

He’s not the most subtle player or overloaded with technical ability.

The next: Edgar Davids

Like Davids, Strootman is a dominating presence on the field and an incredible leader. Like Davids, Strootman is a tidy passer but his strength lies in his boundless energy and drive. Of non-Dutchmen, Strootman is similar to Patrick Vieira or Steven Gerrard.