After Ellery Balcombe returned to Brentford, Viborg in Denmark have loaned in Brandon Austin from Spurs. They clearly like their English U21 keepers. ✍Welcome Brandon Austin 🧤Den engelske U21-landsholdsmålmand fra @SpursOfficial spiller for os resten af sæsonen.https://t.co/eTT2iQOBN1#viborgff pic.twitter.com/RonhkAq9dw— Viborg FF ☘️ (@viborgff) January 27, 2020
It always amazes me when English football players go abroad it is considered "brave". Meanwhile when foreign footballers decide to play outside of their country of origin it's not considered that big a deal. I can't see a day when English players play abroad is not considered "brave" or a big deal.
Can’t comment on his performances but he’s starting as first choice left back in what seems to be a struggling team as they are rock bottom of the Belguim 1st Division.
Der #SCP07 hat Offensivspieler Antony Kenneth #Evans vom FC @Everton verpflichtet | https://t.co/dARJmweuB4 | Welcome to Paderborn, Antony! pic.twitter.com/682aHu1B4t— SC Paderborn 07 (@SCPaderborn07) January 29, 2020
George McEachran out on loan to Cambuur in the Dutch 2nd tier. ✍️ DONE DEAL | SC #Cambuur heeft zich per direct versterkt met George McEachran. De 19-jarige Engelsman komt op huurbasis over van #Chelsea FC.Welcome George! 💛💙 pic.twitter.com/ymvNG7j2OK— SC Cambuur (@SCCambuurLwd) January 30, 2020
I really hope this doesn’t happen, let him stay in Holland and develop! Wolves would be a bad move imo and can’t see that many chances for him at Arsenal either to be honest Arsenal and Wolves are considering a swoop for PSV's England starlet Noni Madueke after the 17-year-old made his senior debut in Holland#AFC #WWFChttps://t.co/0nPKJdVhoa— Mail Sport (@MailSport) January 30, 2020
I think Malen will talk to him and point to his own trajectory. Invest in time at PSV instead of a short term money gain and the big pay will be bigger in the end. I'm sure he's going to make the first team next season and from there he can simply choose from CL playing clubs. No need to pay attention to (with all due respect to Wolves fans) clubs in the Wolves range.
Madueke rejected Premier League clubs to join PSV in the first place. Would seem weird to change his mind now especially after his decision has been justified, so I'm hoping there's nothing in this.
There’s no way it plays out where it isn’t taking a big fee, so at that point he’s being signed to be a first teamer. Either way, not sure we should be at all concerned.
Southampton midfielder Callum Slattery has agreed a deal to join Dutch side De Graafschap on loan until the end of the season. #saintsfc #DeGraafschap https://t.co/Qco55zyjRq— Pete O'Rourke (@SportsPeteO) January 30, 2020
I'm still kinda confused as to why the Dutch Second Tier is so popular, because the standard ain't that great, Jong Ajax are the best team in that tier. It's a very safe option for players who are underdeveloped physically but I'm not sure you want more than a half-season there.
Actually almost all our current superstars have a season or two in that league. It,s all about kids developing while playing against adults on the pitch for a living. It's completely different from playing against other youth teams. My club Feyenoord stupidly declined when offered to play their young team there with Ajax, PSV and AZ to name the current top clubs in there. We pay the price as the youngsters from AZ, PSV and Ajax mature faster and are ready for first team duty compared to my club's youth. Klopp, amongst a couple of other top league clubs coaches, envied us for this set up. You can have all the qualities as a young player, but it becomes another thing to display it against grown ups ready to hassle you and muscle you from the ball.
All the English youngsters heading over are older than the Dutch players making their breakthrough there though. A lot of the teams in the league are worse than PL2 opposition. Does feel a lot like the English kids just wanting something on their record to help them move forward elsewhere.
On top of that, in contrast to other second tier leagues, coaches at Dutch clubs also have an urge to teach. So even if a youngster isnot in one of the Young teams, he's going to get developmental treatment by his coaching staff by default.
Dutch youngsters are jumping from U19 football (and they're mostly already playing up as U17s in the U19s league). English players are heading over after they've already had a couple of years in U23 football. There have been 128 players in the Eerste Divisie this year who are 2000 or younger. 192 1999 or younger. So if you're Slattery who is nearly 21, you're competing against guys younger than you, which isn't idea for a guy who has been playing U23 football since 2016.
You can't look at the ages and conclude an Englishman (one!) at 20/21 is fighting boys. M. de Ligt was in that league at the age of 16 and 1 year later in the final of the EL against MU and at 18 seconds away from the CL final. Perr Schuurs was with 17 the youngest captain of a Dutch pro club ever at Fortuna Sittard and helped them promote. He played a year for Y Ajax in that league after transferring and played at 18 his first CL matches. These are just a couple of examples that show age is just a number in Dutch context. However, the number of players listed as 2000 or younger doesnot match the number of players actually on the pitch!
I'm not saying it's bad for Dutch youngsters. Infact, it would be good for English youngsters if they were entering the league at the same age. But they're not.