With Davy Propper leaving for England, Pablo Rosario will be looking to grab his chance to star in the PSV Eindhoven midfield.
- By Michael Bell
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Born in Amsterdam, Rosario made a name for himself in the Academy of amateur side DWS and the Netherlands top three of Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV all quickly came calling. He chose to join his hometown club Ajax and impressed in the club’s youth teams until he suffered a groin injury during the 2013/14 season which sidelined him for four months. Ajax coaches doubted his rehabilitation and decided that Rosario could leave and he made the choice to join Almere City on a free in the summer of 2015.
Rosario proved Ajax wrong with some excellent performances for both Netherlands U19’s and Almere City. He made 34 appearances in the Eerste Divisie and PSV Eindhoven swooped to sign the 18-year-old the following summer.
Last season, Rosario was a ever present for Jong PSV in the Eerste Divisie, contributing seven goals in 31 games. He even popped up on the bench for Phillip Cocu’s first team on nine occasions but is still awaiting his first team debut. This summer, PSV announced that Rosario, along with Sam Lammers and Dante Rigo had been promoted to the first team permanently and the 20-year-old will look to fill the void left by the departures of both Andres Guardado and Davy Propper.
Style of play
Powerful and combative, Rosario is at his best playing in a defensive midfield role but he also has the ability to step into a box to box role. He is tall, strong on the ball and in the tackle, with excellent technique and passing ability. He likes to stride forward with the ball and has a powerful shot, which helped him contribute a number of goals to Jong PSV last season.
Rosario’s versatility has also seen him used as a centre back at times, while he has also been utilised as a winger in his youth days. He is a leader on the pitch and was selected as captain for Jong PSV at various times last season.
What to expect from Rosario this season
Ajax’s loss is set to be PSV Eindhoven’s gain with the midfielder set to make a big impact in Phillip Cocu’s side this season. Rosario will be hoping to quickly make his first team debut and prove he is the man to replace Propper in the middle. With Jorrit Hendrix set to be first choice DM, Rosario could make an impact in the number eight slot and the two will provide a screen for Marco van Ginkel to move further forward.
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