Goal looks at the best young players currently waiting for their chance to break through at the top level with the Eredivisie's top two teams
ProShotsRyan Gravenberch | Ajax
He is just 16 years old, but Ryan Gravenberch has already made his Ajax debut and has become a regular for Netherlands Under 19s.
The central midfielder broke Clarence Seedorf's record as Ajax's youngest ever player when he made a brief appearance against PSV in September. He played a full 90 minutes in the KNVB Beker just a few days later as they trounced amateur side Te Werve, becoming the youngest scorer in the Amsterdam side's history, too.
He has not turned out for the senior side since, but he is holding his own against professionals as a key player for Jong Ajax, having made 15 appearances in the second division.
"I'm pretty tall for a 16-year-old, so sometimes I don't realise that I'm a boy of that age," he said recently. "I feel like I'm just 18 or 19, like those other guys. I'm 16 and now I play against players who are 32. Of course they are physically stronger and also walk more. In the beginning I had to get used to that, but now things are going better."
AdvertisementProShotsMohammed Ihattaren | PSV
The attacking midfielder has been with the Eindhoven giants since 2010 and recently emerged from the youth academy to make his first senior appearances for Mark van Bommel's team.
The Utrecht native has featured four times in the Eredivisie and already tasted international success at youth level, having lifted the European Championship title with the Under 17s in 2018.
"Frankly, I'd like to have him with Everton tomorrow, he's so good," Everton technical director Marcel Brands, formerly of PSV, said last week. "But I don't think that's the path he should take. He will need an intermediate step up later. In that respect, Mo is fine at PSV. The club plays European football, he has a great chance of playing time and he is in the national teams."
He has just turned 17, but Ihattaren is already being tipped to seal a regular place in Netherlands' and PSV's senior sides within a couple of years.
PROSHOTSBrian Brobbey | Ajax
Brian Brobbey is one of those strikers who makes an immediate impression on anyone watching him.
Brobbey recently turned 17 but he is currently excelling with Ajax's Under 19s with an awesome 25 goals from 26 games. He has been sailing through the youth academy since joining in 2010 and is blessed with a wealth of talent.
"Brian Brobbey is the quickest here at Ajax," Under 19s boss John Heitinga told last month. "He does 30 metres in 3.7 seconds. He is 16, 91 kilogrammes, his body fat is low, and his one leg jumping is higher than Cristiano Ronaldo."
He has already featured twice for the reserves, so it would be no surprise to see him take on the experienced professionals in the second tier more regularly before long. The Ajax first-team is the target, however, and he hopes to be in it by 2020. If he keeps scoring at this rate, he will likely meet his deadline.
Pro ShotsJoël Piroe | PSV
Young striker Joel Piroe was snapped up from Feyenoord's youth system five years and has become known as an exciting striker.
The 19-year-old is yet to make his first appearance for the first-team, but his exploits for Jong PSV – the reserves team playing in Dutch football's second tier – as well as the Under 19s.
He has already netted 10 times in just 17 Eerste Divisie appearances this season – including an incredible four goals in a single game against Almere City, while he has also scored against Inter and Tottenham U19s in the UEFA Youth League.
Last year, Juventus were credited with an interest in the forward, but he is still eyeing a spot in Mark van Bommel's side.
"I've really enjoyed myself so far, and I'm dreaming of making my debut here in the first team," Piroe said earlier this month. "The coach knows me, he knows what he has in me."