With the production of football greats like Marco van Basten, Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Dennis Bergkamp, and Arjen Robben, the Netherlands has sometimes been referred to as “the world’s biggest football talent factory.”
Although it’s safe to say that the Dutch national team have been devoid of game-changing players of the same calibre in recent years, these players were the epitome of the “total football” model, which was created to maximise creativity, skill, and versatility.
Mundo Deportivo claim that could soon change, though. According to the Spanish publication, Kees Smit, a 19-year-old who has become an instant phenomenon at AZ Alkmaar, is the upcoming “total footballer” to emerge from the Netherlands.