Dante Rigo has been touted as a player for the future for PSV Eindhoven for the last few years as he is next in the club’s lineage of talented Belgians.
- By Chaka Simbeye
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PSV have the luxury of attracting young Belgian talent early due to their close proximity to a border with Belgium which allows players to travel back and forth across the border daily or move to Eindhoven and not be too far from home under FIFA regulations. Rigo was signed from Lierse as an 8-year-old and has risen through the academy and is touted as one of Belgium’s biggest talents. In the U17 World Cup two years ago, he was a standout player for his country as he showcased his expertise from set-pieces with free-kick goals.
Last season, Rigo shone for Jong PSV in the Eerste Divisie, contributing six assists in 23 league matches, while also scoring twice for the U19’s in the UEFA Youth League.
In pre-season, he set up Gaston Pereiro for a goal from a free-kick while against Sion, he came off the bench to turn past a man and hit an accurate diagonal pass to Gudmundson. PSV have since announced that Sam Lammers, Pablo Rosario and Rigo have been promoted to the first team this season.
Playing Style
Dante Rigo can play as a deep-lying playmaker or a box-to-box creative force as he enjoys threading through balls through tight zones in midfield. He is tall in height and slight in size as he is yet to grow into his body but the guile with which he plays with from the deep-lying midfield position will make him an interesting prospect for Phillip Cocu this season. He also possesses a magnificent passing range as he can thread grass-cutting through balls on the ground or he can ping accurate lobs through the air while when he is playing in a more box-to-box role, he enjoys making late runs to the top of the box in order to score goals. He also possesses mobility and skill as with a shake of the hips, he can swivel past markers as he has a great control of his body to beat his man. However, he can still be shoved off the ball by the more physically imposing players in midfield battles. PSV have lost Andres Guardado who was a set-piece specialist but Rigo will be able to take up his mantle long-term as he has been known to score his fair share of free-kicks at youth level.
What is next for Dante Rigo this season?
PSV have sold Davy Propper and Andres Guardado as they have only brought in Marco Van Ginkel in midfield. Jorrit Hendrix is the only defensive midfield options as Pablo Rosario and Rigo will be options to back Hendrix up while the Belgian’s case for more game time for PSV 1 will be helped by Cocu seeing Kenneth Paal and Rosario in other roles in the defence. The teenager will be a vital cog in Dennis Haar’s Jong PSV while the possibility of him seeing game time in the KNVB Beker under Phillip Cocu is also large. Rigo is set for a season where he begins his journey with the PSV first-team as he will be training with them while the space for him to gain playing is very large with PSV’s current midfield options.
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