Ruud Nijstad named Johan Cruijff Talent of the Month

FC Twente had one of the strongest defences in the VriendenLoterij Eredivisie in October. Since 1 October, no team has conceded fewer Expected Goals than the Tukkers, with just 3.8. Opponents attempted 44 shots, of which fifteen were on target, resulting in only three goals conceded.

Nijstad himself was also particularly difficult to get past. The centre-back played 315 minutes and was not dribbled past once. Only six other defenders played at least the same number of minutes without an opponent successfully dribbling past them. Of that group, only Nick Verschuren is also a young player.

Nijstad also made five tackles, contributing to a defence that gave opponents very little room to create danger.

Nijstad’s qualities were not limited to his work without the ball. The defender was also heavily involved in FC Twente’s build-up play. During this period, 272 of his 297 passes found a teammate, giving him a pass completion rate of 91.6%.

Across the entire VriendenLoterij Eredivisie, only Ramiz Zerrouki completed more passes. Nijstad also remained accurate when playing forward. Of his 55 passes into the final third, 49 were completed: 89%. Among players who attempted at least fifty such passes, only Sergiño Dest and Aske Adelgaard recorded a higher accuracy.

Nijstad therefore combined defensive reliability with an important role in FC Twente’s possession play.

FC Twente’s strong defensive run continued in remarkable fashion in the following league match against Excelsior. The Rotterdam side failed to register a single shot against FC Twente, partly due to a red card.

Since Opta began fully analysing the VriendenLoterij Eredivisie in the 2010/’11 season, only two other clubs had previously completed an entire league match without facing a single shot.

For Ruud Nijstad, this is his first Johan Cruijff Talent of the Month award. As part of the prize, Nijstad will receive a €2,500 cheque from VriendenLoterij for DETO in Vriezenveen, the amateur club where he played until the age of eleven. In addition, €5,000 will be donated to the Johan Cruyff Foundation to support community projects.

The Player of the Month and Johan Cruijff Talent of the Month awards are based on more than sixty Opta statistics. These are divided into different categories and weighted according to position. Players can also receive a bonus based on the assessment of an expert jury made up of former players.

These statistics also play a role in the selection of the Player of the Year and Johan Cruijff 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 Cruijff Talent of the Month awards are an initiative of Eredivisie CV, in collaboration with ESPN, VriendenLoterij and the Johan Cruyff Foundation.