Mats Rots named Johan Cruyff Talent of the Month
Mats Rots has been one of the standout revelations at FC Twente this season. After seventeen league matches, his breakthrough campaign has been rewarded with his first monthly honour: Johan Cruyff Talent of the Month for December.
Teenager with the most minutes played
Rots progressed through the FC Twente/Heracles Academy from a young age and signed his first professional contract with FC Twente at just sixteen. In 2025, the left-back enjoyed his definitive breakthrough. After a successful loan spell at Heracles Almelo and winning the UEFA European Under-19 Championship with the Netherlands, he linked up with FC Twente’s first team immediately after the summer.
Since the opening matchday, Mats Rots has been an ever-present in the starting XI. He has featured in all seventeen league matches this season and, with 1,426 minutes played, is the teenager with the most minutes in the Eredivisie.
Mats Rots is the teenager with the most minutes played in the Eredivisie.
Attacking impact
The defender is widely praised for his talent. Not only is Rots solid defensively, he also makes his mark going forward. In December he found the net against FC Utrecht, and this season he is already on two goals and two assists. That puts him level with midfielders Kees Smit (AZ) and Robin van Cruijsen (FC Volendam) as the teenager directly involved in the most goals (four).
In addition, the 19-year-old left-back completed eight successful dribbles in December. The second-highest total of any player in the league, behind only Kodai Sano (N.E.C. Nijmegen).
First monthly award
For Mats Rots, this is his first time being named Johan Cruijff Talent of the Month. He follows in the footsteps of Danilo Pereira da Silva (October 2020), Manfred Ugalde (March 2023) and Youri Regeer (September 2023) as FC Twente winners of the award.
As part of the prize, the talent receives a €2,500 cheque from the VriendenLoterij for SV Grol, the amateur club from Groenlo where he began his career together with his brother Daan Rots. It is also the club where his other brother, Tiem Rots, currently plays for the first team. In addition, a €5,000 contribution goes to the Johan Cruyff Foundation in support of social initiatives.
Mats Rots with the award, presented by ESPN reporter Fresia Cousiño Arias.
About the award
The Player of the Month and Johan Cruijff Talent of the Month awards are based on Opta statistics, incorporating more than sixty different performance metrics. These statistics also play a role in determining the Player of the Year and Johan Cruijff Talent of the Year in the Eredivisie. The awards are presented at the end of the season during the Eredivisie Awards.
The monthly awards are an initiative of Eredivisie CV, in collaboration with ESPN, VriendenLoterij and the Johan Cruyff Foundation.
