Milot Rashica is hoping to prove Albania manager Gianni de Biasi wrong after his Euro 2016 snub. Can he become the next Eredivisie star?
- By Lars van Maanen
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Rashica started his career at KF Kosova Vushtrri as a teenager and made his debut for the first team in 2013. He had trials at German side Hannover 96 and Union Berlin in summer 2014, but didn’t get any contact offers. He had a trial at Vitesse in September 2014 and signed a 3-year contract afterwards, starting on 1 July.
He was expected to be part of the U21 team in his first season, but the talented winger impressed during his first weeks and immediately became a starter for Vitesse. He was one of the few players who excelled in a disappointing season for the club. He caught the eye of Napoli, Hamburger SV and Ajax scouts and was part of Albania’s provisional squad for the 2016 Euros. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t part of Albania’s final Euros 2016 squad, which might be a signal for foreign clubs that he is not ready for a next step in his career yet.
Playing style
Rashica is an explosive right winger and is always an offensive threat for Vitesse down the right flank. He is a dribbler with a great acceleration. There are not a lot of traditional right-footed right wingers in the Eredivisie nowadays and that’s what special about him. The Kosovo-born Albanian creates chances for himself with his spectacular dribbles and also delivers perfect cross balls to the strikers.
Milot Rashica became a fans’ favorite during his first season at Vitesse. The 20-year old catches the eye with fast dribbles and formed a great duo with Kevin Diks on the right wing. He plays with the joy and excitement of a young kid, but also has the winning mentality.
What does this season hold for Rashica?
Milot Rashica will be the main right winger at Vitesse this season, with youngsters Mitchell van Bergen (16) and Arshak Koryan (21) behind him. Rashica impressed with 8 goals and 5 assists in his first season in top flight football. The main question is if he can also deal with the growing pressure on him.
He should improve his record if he wants to make the step to a bigger league next season. He and striker Zhang linked up quite well during pre-season and could be a new successful duo in the Eredivisie. Last season, Solanke wasn’t able to take advantage of Rashica’s cross balls, but Zhang has already scored several headed goals. Leading his team to Europa League football, with at least 10 goals and 10 assist, should be the main target for the talented Albanian for the upcoming season.
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