Gjivai Zechiël named Player of the Month for August
Gjivai Zechiël has been named Eredivisie Player of the Month for August. The midfielder was directly involved in the second-most shots of any player during the month, while also scoring the most goals and registering the joint-most shots on target.
Impressive development
Gjivai Zechiël has continued the impressive development he showed last season. The 22-year-old midfielder caught the eye during his loan spell at FC Utrecht and has carried that form into the new campaign with Feyenoord.
Zechiël also appears to be becoming increasingly influential in attack. Former player Lasse Schöne highlighted his development as a box-to-box midfielder on ESPN: “He is getting into the opposition box more often and has become more decisive with goals and assists. If he keeps playing like this until the end of the season, it won’t be Lille coming in for him, but a number of bigger clubs.”
Pelle Clement has also been impressed by Zechiël’s rapid progress: “He seems to adapt easily every time he steps up a level. He has a great feel for the game, football intelligence and plays with real enjoyment. He is developing incredibly quickly.”
His development has not gone unnoticed outside the Netherlands either. Zechiël attracted strong interest from LOSC Lille in recent weeks, but on Thursday reached an agreement with Feyenoord to extend his contract.
Three goals and one assist
Zechiël started all four matches and played the full 90 minutes on each occasion. The Rotterdam-born midfielder was directly involved in 25 shots in August, the second-highest total of any player in the competition. He registered 13 shots himself and created 12 chances, with seven of his 13 attempts on target. Ten of the 12 chances he created also came from open play.
Zechiël scored twice in the 5-2 win over SC Cambuur and once against Go Ahead Eagles (2-2), while also providing an assist in the 1-0 victory away to Sparta Rotterdam. With three goals, Zechiël was the joint-top scorer in the competition in August and was directly involved in four goals overall.
| Player | Team | Goals | Assists | G+A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gjivai Zechiël |
FEY |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
Thom van Bergen |
GRO |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
Ayase Ueda |
FEY |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
Tjaronn Chery |
NEC |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
Mateo Chávez |
AZ |
1 |
3 |
4 |
|
Søren Tengstedt |
GAE |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
Sergiño Dest |
PSV |
2 |
2 |
4 |
First Player of the Month Award
This is the first time Gjivai Zechiël has been named Eredivisie Player of the Month. Last season, he was twice named Johan Cruijff Talent of the Month, winning the award in October 2025 and May 2026.
The award is presented by ESPN reporter Hans Kraay jr.
About the award
The Player of the Month and Johan Cruyff Talent of the Month awards are based on Opta statistics, with more than 60 different metrics taken into account. These statistics are divided into different categories, with specific weightings applied to each position. Players can also receive a bonus based on assessments by an expert panel of former players.
These figures also play a role in determining the Player of the Year and Johan Cruyff Talent of the Year. Both awards are presented at the end of the season during the Eredivisie Awards.
The Player of the Month and Johan Cruyff Talent of the Month awards are an initiative of Eredivisie CV, in collaboration with ESPN, Friends Lottery and the Johan Cruyff Foundation.
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