This man might be known to a few people, especially those who follow the Ererdivisie (the Dutch league) or watch the UEFA Champions League regularly. He is a 19 year old holding midfield player for the Dutch giants, Ajax Amsterdam. This man has certainly gone under the radar, somehow already racking up 50 appearances for Ajax and over 100 in his professional career. These numbers are considerably higher than a lot of players his age, this is a testament to both his fitness and his importance for the teams he has played for.
He is a defensive midfielder who is muscular in stature but seems to breeze around the pitch when he has the ball. The closest players that I can compare him to are Mateo Kovačić and Yves Bissouma, who both seem to glide when they are in possession of the ball. However unlike these other 2, Gravenberch also has an eye for goal, already scoring 6 goals for Ajax in the Eredivisie, and netting his first goal in the Champions League last season. Ajax are usually branded as a very attacking and dangerous football team so it is no surprise to see a holding midfielder's name on the scoresheet too.
He has also been called up to the Dutch national team and has already played 9 times for them, scoring as well against Georgia in a friendly. This 19 year old moves around the pitch, with and without the ball, like he is in his prime, having played 300 times for his club. He has already picked up personal and team awards, above all, he won Dutch football talent of the year last season. There is no doubt that in the next few years a bigger and richer European club will buy him and he will have many successes in his long and bright career.
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