It is believed, and widely reported, that Arsenal scouts were in attendance when Ajax midfielder Davy Klaassen enhanced his growing reputation by scoring a hat-trick against NAC Breda on Saturday.
The 20-year-old – compared to Ajax and Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp - has scored six goals in ten games this season and is being tipped for call-up to the Holland squad ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
English football fans may not know too much about Holland’s rising star, so here are ten things you should know about the talented midfielder....
1 - Klaassen began is football career in the youth ranks of local amateur side HVV de Zebra's, where he played until 2003 when he transferred to HSV Wasmeer. A year later he was recruited into the famed Ajax Youth Academy.
2 - Whilst playing for the Ajax A1 youth squad in 2011–12, Klaassen helped his side to win the Nike Eredivisie league title, as well finishing as runners-up to Inter Milan in the NextGen Series (the Champions League equivalent for Under 19 teams).
3 - He made his debut for the Ajax first team in the Champions League group stage away draw (0–0) against Olympique Lyonnais on November 22, 2011 – coming on as an 85th minute sub.
4 - While still playing in Holland’s junior league competing for the Ajax A1 under-19 squad, he made his Eredivisie debut on November 27 as a substitute against NEC.- and scored only 42 seconds after his introduction as sub.
5 - He made his debut in the starting eleven of the Ajax first team on December 11, 2011, and played the entire match which ended in a 1-0 away win against RKC Waalwijk.
6 - He scored his first senior goal on October 6, 2013 in the 3–0 home win against FC Utrecht and two months later scored his first hat-trick in a 4–0 home win against NAC Breda.
7 - He has represented his country at all levels bar the full national team so far – Under 16s (5 caps/4 goals); Under 17s (11/1); Under 19s (9/2) and Under 21s (4/0).
8 - Klaassen scored on his first international appearance against Italy Under 16s in October 2008, and was also on target in his second appearance for the Dutch youth side.
9 - He made his debut for the Netherlands Under 19 team in a friendly match against Germany which ended in a 2–2 draw. In his 7th appearance he scored his first two goals.
10 - He made his debut for the Under 21 side on October 10, 2013 in 6-0 victory over Georgia 6–0 – and is being widely tipped to make a full international appearance in the build-up to the World Cup finals.
Source: DSG
