Introducing Bruno Martins Indi - Dutch football's most talented defender since Jaap Stam

Netherlands are by no means renowned for the great defenders they have produced over the years - indeed the Euro 1988 winners are generally associated with gifted attackers such as Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp.

However, Oranje have boasted plenty of defensive talent since Dutch football started challenging the big guns in the late 1960s. Think Ruud Krol in the 1970s, Frank Rijkaard and Ronald Koeman in the following decade, and then Jaap Stam in the 90s and the noughties.

Ever since the latter's international retirement after Euro 2004, Holland have been struggling to find adequate replacements in defence, though, most notably in the two centre-back positions. Players such as John Heitinga and Joris Mathijsen have collected over 80 caps in the past eight years, but neither of the pair join the great Dutch defenders of the past.

Eight years after Stam's last game for Oranje, Netherlands finally seem to have located a worthy successor: Feyenoord defender Bruno Martins Indi.

The 20-year-old was born in the Portuguese city of Barreiro, but moved to Rotterdam when he was only three months old, and has opted to represent Netherlands at international level rather than Portugal.

That Martins Indi has already made it into Holland's senior side at such a tender age comes as a bit of a surprise to most observers of the game. The left-footed defender joined the Feyenoord academy at the age of 13, but initially was not regarded as one of the club's biggest defensive talents, with the likes of Jeffrey Bruma, Stefan de Vrij and Bart Schenkeveld held in higher esteem.

Martins Indi rapidly developed into one of the top prospects at Varkenoord, though, and he was handed his official first team debut in the Europa League match against Gent two years ago. The youngster immediately impressed with a fine display at centre-back, and he would only continue to improve from there on. Martins Indi was a key part of the Feyenoord squad that surprisingly finished second in the Eredivisie table last term, and he is now one of the first names on head coach Ronald Koeman's team-sheet.

The Feyenoord trainer is not the only coach who has recognized the immense potential of 'BMI'. Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal saw the centre-back shine for his club in the Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kiev, and did not hesitate to call him up for the friendly against Belgium back in August.

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Martins Indi has not missed a single game for Oranje since, and he particularly impressed with stellar performances against Hungary and Romania, much to the delight of his club coach.

"I'm proud of the way Bruno presents himself. His progress doesn't surprise me. And he still has room for improvement. He could be Oranje's first-choice left-back for the next 10 years. It's only logical that big clubs are after him," Koeman commented.

The former defender's praise further illustrates that Martins Indi is held in very high esteem in Netherlands, and the hype appears to be more than justified.

The 20-year-old might be 'only' 1.83m, but he rarely loses an aerial challenge, while he is an excellent tackler, too. His strength in the duels make him a very difficult opponent for any attacker, and Martins Indi holds the advantage that he can make amends with his pace in case he does get beaten by an opponent. Furthermore, he is comfortable in possession and can build play from the back.

Martins Indi is certainly not the finished article just yet and still has a few imperfections in his game. His positioning can occasionally be suspect, while he also tends to lack ruthlessness in certain situations.

However, his first flaw can partially be put down to the fact that he switches back and forth between the positions of centre-back and left-back at Feyenoord. Martins Indi himself remains calm under all the media attention, and realises that he cannot afford to rest on his laurels if he wants to fulfil his dream of becoming a world-class defender.

"Playing for Oranje is one of the biggest things you can achieve as a footballer. I'm only 20 and I have already achieved just that. It keeps me alert. I once said that I want to become one of the best defenders in the world. I'm not there yet, but I'm on the right path," he stated.

Indeed, there's little doubt that Martins Indi is on the right path, although there is obviously no guarantee that he will indeed reach the same level of players such as Rijkaard and Stam.

At the tender age of 20, he has already impressed at international level, and Wednesday's match versus Germany will be another opportunity for the defender to present himself to the world.

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Source: Goal

Introducing Dinamo Zagreb wonderkid Alen Halihovic

• Name: Alen Halilović 
• Date of Birth: 18 June 1996 
• Nationality: Croatian 
• Position: Central-midfielder 
• Club: GNK Dinamo Zagreb

Alen Halilović is the son of former Real Valladolid and Bosnia midfielder Sejad Halilović, who is now part of the coaching staff at Dinamo Zagreb. By 2011, aged just 14, the youngster had been spotted by Real Madrid at a youth tournament and came close to joining Los Merengues, having had no official contract with the Croatian side at the time. However, Dinamo were not to surrender their talent easily and the club temporarily suspended both Alen and his father for negotiating with the Spanish side, with FIFA rules prohibiting international transfers before the age of 18. Faced with the prospect of over three years without playing competitive football, Halilović agreed a new four-year scholarship contract with Dinamo and has since revealed a desire to remain at the club for some time yet.

In the summer of 2012, a 16-year-old Alen signed a first professional contract with the club, having excelled in the club’s junior ranks and, by mid-September, was called-up to train with the first-team squad – a move which brought the youngster to the attention of the wider European media. On 30 September 2012, Halilović Jr. was handed his senior debut, coming on as a substitute in the club’s 3-1 victory over traditional rivals Hajduk Split.

Style of Play: 

Halilović is often compared to fellow countryman Luka Modrić, with both players bearing a significant resemblance in both playing style and appearance. The Dinamo youngster stands at just 1.70m (5’7″) and, as with his compatriot, is only slight in physical build, however he uses his excellent close control to shield the ball well from more physical opponents at youth level.

A central attacking-midfielder, Halilović is heavily biased towards his left-foot, with which he has been a regular goal-scorer at youth level thanks to his ability to finish precisely from both inside and outside the box. The starlet has also been somewhat of a set-piece specialist in the youth ranks. While his speed and excellent technique allow him to skip past players at youth level with ease, it will be interesting to see how he comes to deal with more experienced, stronger defenders now he has started to make strides in the first-team.

As with the majority of top players in his position, Halilović has the ability to turn on a sixpence with the ball at his feet, leading defenders to naturally back-off and afford him time in possession. However, given the quality of his left-foot, his natural inclination is generally to look to move the ball onto that side and there perhaps needs to be more variation to his game. Besides that, in the coming years, he will want to work on his core body strength in order to step up to higher levels.

What Others Say:

1. Dinamo Zagreb academy director Romea Jozaka.

"He is an extraordinary talent. Incredibly powerful with the ball for his age. We know that he's been mentioned throughout Europe as the best we'll see in the next few years in his position,"

"He has a unique technical ability and a great knack of finding his teammates with the ball. In one on ones, he's virtually unbeatable."

2. "Everyone here knows he will be a sensation," one Madrid source said. "When he has the ball, he is reminiscent of Lionel Messi."

3. Dinamo Zagreb manager Ante Cacic:

"Surely this is a great talent, a pearl of our football schools that we have long recognized."

The Future: 

Halilović has, in recent times, been linked with a move to some of Europe’s biggest clubs, with Real Madrid and Manchester United reportedly leading the chase. While comparisons with Luka Modrić will always attract attention, it is also true that Dinamo are a club heavily monitored by European scouts, having produced the likes of Real Madrid star Modrić, Hamburg’s Milan Badelj and former Tottenham midfielder Niko Kranjčar amongst others in the past decade.

The youngster, for now at least, is playing down a move abroad, with Dinamo offering first-team football and Champions League opportunities in the coming months. Halilović told reporters: ”Stories about Real Madrid and Manchester United? I don’t give much thought about those kind of stories. Dinamo will decide what will happen to me, all I have to do is just try to develop as much as I can. Everything else doesn’t matter right now.”

The key now will be for the club’s latest academy graduate to find his footing at senior level. Playing in a Dinamo side that are a level above most opponents in their domestic league, there will be plenty of opportunities for appearances in the season to come, whilst there remains the possibility of Halilović making his first Champions League appearance in this 2012-13 campaign. The next couple of seasons will be crucial to the youngster’s development and, given their track-record, Dinamo would appear to be the best place for him to learn his trade – for now at least. On an international level, meanwhile, the youngster will no doubt hope to represent his country at next summer’s Under-19 European Championship, should they qualify later this month. There are a lot of potential pitfalls along the road ahead, but there is no doubt Halilović Jr. is one to watch in the years to come.

Watch him in action here:


Source: TheElastico, TribalFootball, Edited by Football365News

Introducing AC Milan's 14-year-old wonderkid Hachim Mastour

Hachim Mastour is a 14-year-old Moroccan trying to make the grade at AC Milan and judging by this footage he could well be starring for the senior side in a few years time.

The young lad showed off his full range of tricks in a match for Milan's youth side, scoring two fantastic goals and generally making fools of the opposition.

Predictably, Mastour has been compared to a host of football greats, including Zidane, Ronaldinho and Messi, but despite his skill he has a long way to go before he can be justifably talked about alongside players of that calibre.


Source: talkSport

Liverpool's £5m January target who could be a big hit in EPL

Confirmation that Fabio Borini will be sidelined for at least three months with a broken foot has placed greater emphasis on Brendan Rodgers' search to find a new striker.

Rodgers is expected to dip into the Janaury market for at least one new forward to help Luis Suarez improve Liverpool's mediocre goal tally next year, and one player who could fit the bill is Schalke's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

Here, we explain why the Dutch international would prove a big hit at Anfield…

Huntelaar and Suarez scored 82 goals in 60 games at Ajax

Huntelaar linked up formidably with Suarez at Ajax in 2007/08 and again until December 2008, when he was sold to Real Madrid.

They totalled a remarkable 82 goals in 60 games together in all competitions, eventually earning transfers to more competitive European leagues. A combined tally of 50 Eredivisie goals was more than half of what Ajax managed as a team in 2007/08, while Huntelaar's 33 goal haul almost doubled that of Suarez's 17.

There is even more evidence to suggest that Huntelaar would not just link up well with his former Uruguyan buddy, but also score more goals than him, too.

While Suarez's Premier League goal return hasn't been quite so impressive at Liverpool, Huntelaar bagged 29 Bundesliga goals in 32 games for Schalke last season - seven more than Man United target Robert Lewandowski managed for champions Dortmund, who finished 15 points ahead of Schalke.

At Real Madrid, Huntelaar still managed eight goals in 20 La Liga appearances, despite seven of those coming as a substitute, while clueless former Milan boss Leonardo (now without a job) never gave him a chance at the San Siro.

At Liverpool, with the promise of first team action and support from his former team-mate, Huntelaar is likely to floruish.

He's available for around £5m

With the Dutchman out of contract at the end of the season, he'll be free to negotiate with potential suitors in January for as little as £5m, suiting Liverpool's tight financial constraints.

The German club's general manager, Horst Heldt admitted the chances of him renewing his current deal are slim, claiming the situation is "one of the biggest problems at the club," and he is ready to sell in January to avoid losing his man for nothing in the summer.

Huntelaar's agent, Arnold Oostervee poured cold water over claims the Dutchman was set to join Liverpool in August 2012, but Schalke were banking on having the striker tied up to a new deal by now.

Huntelaar is a better goalscorer than Robin van Persie

If the availability of a world class goalscorer for £5m wasn't enough to whet Liverpool's appetite for business, they need only look at Huntelaar's strike rate compared to Dutch international team-mate Robin van Persie, widely considered the most deadly forward in England at present.

Van Persie has scored a respectable 30 goals in 70 appearances for the Netherlands, four fewer than Huntelaar has managed in just 59 internationals.

Last season, when English pundits were purring over van Persie bagging 37 goals in 48 games for Arsenal, Huntelaar was busy racking up a total of 48 goals in 47 games at Schalke, including 10 goals in 10 Europa League games, averaging more goals per game than Radamel Falcao in the same competition.

His style in suited to English football

Huntelaar's close range goalscoring instincts would make him a big hit in the Premier League, where the best strikers are seperated by speed of thought and precise finishing.

The 29 year-old's big frame and strength suggest the physical nature of English football wouldn't be a problem, either.

Brendan Rodgers prefers to play with a front three, which would see Huntelaar occupying the more advanced central role that he filled alongside Suarez at Ajax, with the Uruguayan and Raheem Sterling close by on either side.

The nature of Huntelaar's 48 goals for Schalke in 2011/12 (below) suggest he also has what it takes to become Liverpool's most predatory forward since Robbie Fowler:



Source: talkSport