Top 30 Dutch U20 Talents Ranked: 25-21
Our ranking of the Top 30 Dutch talents born after January 2004 continues with numbers 25-21.
Our ranking of the top 30 Dutch U20 talents born after January 2004 continues with numbers 25-21.
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25. Jasper Hartog
17-years-old – AZ Alkmaar – Winger
The AZ Academy is producing some excellent players at the moment and one that has shone bright in 2023 is Jasper Hartog.
A speedy right winger, Hartog also has a real eye for goal and this season has racked up eleven goals and seven assists in just eight games. Last season, he netted 21 times for the U17s as well and made his professional debut for Jong AZ.
Hartog has missed a lot of games this season, but once he returns, he will be key to AZ’s UEFA Youth League defence. If he continues to score at his current rate too, then a full step up to the Jong AZ squad cannot be far away.
Watch the highlights of AZ’s 12-0 win in the Youth League below which saw Hartog net three times and also provide three assists.
24. Wessel Kuhn
17-years-old – PSV Eindhoven – Centre-back
The current captain of the PSV Eindhoven and the Netherlands U18 sides, Wessel Kuhn has been an impressive figure in 2023 and looks set to have a huge future.
The centre-back is a born leader on the pitch and has all the defensive attributes to push on and become a key player in the PSV first team. He is a ball-playing centre-back but he has also shown the capability to step into a defensive midfield role as well.
Kuhn made his professional debut with Jong PSV this season at 16 and he will look to cement his place in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie next year before eyeing up a first-team debut.
Kuhn looks to be a major part of an exciting group of talents coming through at the U18 level.
23. Emmanuel van de Blaak
18-years-old – PSV Eindhoven – Centre-back
Currently ahead of Kuhn in the PSV Eindhoven pecking order, Van de Blaak has cemented his place as a key player for Jong PSV Eindhoven and also Netherlands U19s.
The 18-year-old is a strong and quick centre-back, who has also been used as a full-back. He made his debut for Jong PSV as a 16-year-old and was also given his first-team debut last season in the Europa League clash with Bodo/Glimt.
A back injury prevented any more first-team appearances last season, but so far in this campaign, Van de Blaak is impressing in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie and can be called upon if needed by Peter Bosz.
PSV certainly have a strong defensive duo coming through with Van de Blaak and Kuhn.
22. Mike Kleijn
18-years-old – Feyenoord – Full-back/midfield
A player who has been highly regarded in the Feyenoord academy for years, Kleijn has been unlucky with injuries but can now make his push towards a first-team debut.
Kleijn has been a leader at all youth levels for Feyenoord and a regular for the Netherlands up to U19 level too. A calm and defensively strong left-back, Kleijn has also been moved into the midfield where he has excelled with his ball-playing ability.
He has trained with the first team and is currently a key player for the U21s, where he has also been used as a 10 this season.
Kleijn is still only 18 and needs to fully decide which position he will commit to going forward. Whether at left-back or in midfield, Kleijn remains one of the brightest talents coming through in Rotterdam.
21. Yannick Eduardo
17-years-old – RB Leipzig – Striker
The first striker on our list is currently making a name for himself with some strong performances in the UEFA Youth League.
Eduardo was born in the Czech Republic but moved to the Netherlands as a youngster and he came through the NEC Nijmegen academy before switching to RB Leipzig in 2022. He has excelled for the German side U19 team and has 12 goals already this season, five of which came in the Youth League. Eduardo is also the starting striker for the Netherlands at U18 level, scoring once in three appearances so far.
Strong, quick, and direct, Eduardo has excellent technique and has proved to be an ice-cold finisher with either foot and his head. He likes to run at defences and can hold the ball up well. He is an all-round number nine, similar in mould to Emanuel Emegha.
Eduardo is an exciting talent but still only 17 so patience is required for him to reach his full potential. However, if he continues to develop as he has done this season then RB Leipzig is a club where he can be thrust into a first team chance.
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