The 2015/16 Eredivisie season is over and below we pick the eleven players that make up our team of the campaign.
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GK: Bram Castro
Heracles were a surprise package of the season, finishing sixth and one of the stand-out players in their selection was goalkeeper Bram Castro, who had an excellent campaign. The 34-year-old Belgian was an ever present for Heracles, and kept 10 clean sheets for the club that was relegation candidates last season.
DF: Timo Letschert
One of the summer’s low-key signings was Utrecht taking Letschert from Roda JC for around £150,000, but the deal has turned out to be an absolute bargain. The 22-year-old centre-back has featured in every game for Utrecht in the league and his leadership at the back was key to them finishing fifth. Letschert’s excellent performances have also alerted Netherlands boss Danny Blind, who has selected the defender in his last two squads.
DF: Jeffrey Bruma
PSV are champions again, losing only two games all season and one of their strengths has been the leadership and distribution from the back from Jeffrey Bruma. The 24-year-old organised the PSV back four excellently and also finished the season with one of the highest passing success rates in the league (89.3%). Bruma has established himself as one of the strongest defenders in the Eredivisie and is now a regular for the Dutch national team.
DF: Joel Veltman
Ajax’s mr versatile, Veltman has been deployed all across the back line for Frank de Boer this season and has been excellent throughout the campaign. Ajax’s defence was breached only 21 times and Veltman’s defensive qualities were one of the main reasons why. Veltman played all 34 league games for Ajax, added five assists and scored twice. He also made an outstanding average of 3.4 tackles per game and 3.4 interceptions.
MF: Andres Guardado
Guardado was a major reason why PSV took the title last season and he was hugely influential in them retaining it. The 29-year-old Mexican is PSV’s tempo in midfield and always seems to be completely calm on the ball under any situation. A tough tackler in front of the defence and an excellent passer going forward, Guardado added nine assists in his 25 games and cemented his place as a fan favourite in Eindhoven.
MF: Hakim Ziyech
Undoubtedly one of the stand-out players in the Eredivisie this season, Ziyech had an outstanding season despite FC Twente’s financial woes. His 17 goals and ten assists saved Twente from relegation troubles and proved that he is ready to move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs. The midfield magician was a leader in Twente’s midfield and the Eredivisie will undoubtedly be sad to see him move on this summer.
MF: Davy Propper
PSV signed Propper from Vitesse last summer in one of the best Eredivisie transfers of the season. The midfielder easily adapted to the step up in expectations and ousted Adam Maher from Phillip Cocu’s plans. Ten league goals and six assists for Propper helped PSV to the title, and the 24-year-old was also excellent in the Champions League, scoring a crucial goal in their final group game against CSKA Moscow. Propper will be a big influence for both PSV and the Dutch national team next season.
MF: Davy Klaassen
Ajax’s captain once again led by example during the season and was a big influence on the Amsterdam club as they narrowly missed out on the title. Eight assists and 13 goals have helped Klaassen win the official Eredivisie player of the season award and cemented interest from the likes of Napoli, who have reportedly bid for the midfielder already. Now 23, Klaassen has matured in the Eredivisie and looks more and more ready to make the move abroad.
FW: Luuk de Jong
With Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay leaving PSV last summer the club were expected to struggle to replicate their title success this season. However, Luuk de Jong took over the captain’s armband and steered PSV to the title. The striker netted 26 goals and added eight assists throughout the campaign and scored twice in their crucial final-day victory over PEC Zwolle. De Jong has been excellent since his return to the Eredivisie and the 25-year-old looks ready for another crack at moving abroad.
FW: Vincent Janssen
The revelation of the season has undoubtedly been Janssen, who netted 27 goals to come out on top of the Eredivisie scoring charts in his first campaign in the Dutch top flight. The 21-year-old hot shot struggled at the start of the season but exploded into form after the turn of the year, scoring 21 goals in 17 games. Clubs are already lining up to sign the forward, including the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Wolfsburg, who have all been linked with the Dutch international.
FW: Dirk Kuyt
The 35-year-old made an emotional return to Feyenoord in the summer and had an excellent campaign back in the Eredivisie. Kuyt scored 19 goals during the season and some at crucial times to ensure Feyenoord finished third and returned to the Europa League. Kuyt was also hugely influential in their KNVB Cup win, and all the clubs fans are eagerly waiting to see if their hero will sign a new deal with Feyenoord as his contract expires this summer.
Bench: Vermeer, Tete, Ramselaar, Vilhena, Younes, Milik, Haller
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