First Johan Cruijff Talent of the Month award for Xavi Simons
Based on statistics and votes from football fans, 19-year-old Xavi Simons performed best of all players aged 21 or under in January. This is the first time that the Dutch international has won the Johan Cruijff Talent of the Month award.
Although it was not the best month for PSV (two wins, two draws and one loss), Xavi Simons managed to stand out on an individual level. The PSV player is in the top three for most successful dribbles (12), creating chances from open play (12) and goal attempts (26). With a goal against Fortuna Sittard, twenty-four ball contacts in the opponent’s penalty area and selection as KPN Man of the Match twice, he left the other Eredivisie talents standing.
For the first time in four years, a PSV player wins the best talent award. The last PSV player to win the award was Steven Bergwijn in December 2018. However, Xavi Simons did win the Eredivisie Player of the Month award earlier this season in August. In addition to a trophy, the midfielder will receive a cheque for €2,500 for the PSV Foundation on behalf of the Friends Lottery (VriendenLoterij). His selection also raised €5,000 for Johan Cruijff Foundation projects.
About the voting
The Eredivisie Player of the Month and Johan Cruijff Talent of the Month Awards are based on statistics (StatsPerform) and votes from football fans (KPN Man of the Match). The vote is an initiative of the Eredivisie CV in collaboration with ESPN. The Johan Cruijff Talent of the Month is an initiative of the Eredivisie CV, in collaboration with ESPN, Johan Cruijff Foundation and VriendenLoterij (Friends Lottery).
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