Steven Bergwijn excelled during PSV’s title winning campaign last season but there is still plenty more to come from the winger with huge potential. 

  • By Michael Bell
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Born in Amsterdam, Bergwijn spent six years in the academy of Ajax but a quarrel with the coaches left the youngster without a club and that allowed PSV to swoop. In Eindhoven, Bergwijn has developed into an excellent talent and made his first-team debut at the age of 17 in a KNVB Cup win over Almere City.

Over the next few years he became a regular in Phillip Cocu’s side, and was earmarked as Memphis Depay’s successor, but he struggled to show his best form, until last season. As PSV romped to the Eredivisie title, Bergwijn excelled, scoring eight goals and contributing 11 assists in 32 league games. The 20-year-old finally lived up to his promise and came alive in the big games, scoring crucial goals in wins over Feyenoord and Ajax.

Ronald Koeman wanted to hand Bergwijn his debut for Netherlands but fitness issues led to the winger pulling out of the friendlies against England and Portugal. He is a regular at the moment for Netherlands U21’s, scoring three goals in eight appearances.

Torino had a bid rejected for Bergwijn last season, and despite plenty of interest from abroad this summer, PSV have managed to convince the forward to commit his future to the club.

Style of Play

Since the age of 17, Bergwijn has been seen as one of the finest young wingers in Europe and he is finally living up to the billing. He may be small in stature, but Bergwijn is quick and possesses exceptional dribbling ability which allows him to glide past opponents with ease. He is also deceptively strong and is rarely dispossessed by defenders.

He can create space with a drop of the shoulder or a trick and loves to cut inside from the left before unleashing strikes at goal with his powerful right-foot. Bergwijn has also worked hard over the last year on his crossing and it paid off with 11 assists last season.

For Jong Oranje, Bergwijn has also been used as a false-nine, where his pace is used to move defences around and create space in behind. However, Bergwijn is definitely at his best when deployed on the wing and allowed to link up with a target man, such as Luuk de Jong.

What to expect from Bergwijn this season

Bergwijn had his best campaign in a PSV shirt last year but the forward is capable of even better and he will be aiming to not only guide the club to another title, but also showcase his talent in Europe.

He has already impressed in the Eredivisie but improving his performances in the Champions League or the Europa League should see Bergwijn come into the sights of Europe’s biggest clubs. He is already being heavily linked with the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, with this season set to be his last in Eindhoven.

Bergwijn will also be aiming to make his Netherlands debut this season and could be a key player for Koeman as Oranje looks to reach Euro 2020.




Michael Bell (59 Posts)