Sem Steijn named Eredivisie Player of the Month for September

FC Twente had an outstanding month. After a 1-1 draw with PEC Zwolle, they secured convincing victories over sc Heerenveen (2-0), Almere City FC (0-5), and NAC Breda (1-0). Following seven rounds, the club sits in fourth place with 14 points and a positive goal difference of +8. FC Twente also impressed in Europe, holding Manchester United to a draw at Old Trafford and drawing 1-1 with Fenerbahçe as well.

Sem Steijn was one of Twente’s standout players last season, scoring 17 goals and providing 3 assists in 34 matches. His performances earned him a spot in the Top 5 nominations for the Eredivisie Player of the Year award. This season, the attacking midfielder seems to be raising the bar even higher: with six goals, Steijn is currently leading the race for the Willy van der Kuijlen trophy, awarded to the league's top scorer. 

Five of his six goals came in September, despite an Expected Goals (xG) ratio of just 2.8. Steijn also took the most shots (15), with eight of those on target (the second-highest number), created eight chances from open play (also second), and had 22 touches in the opposition's box (top 5). These are impressive stats for an attacking midfielder, who was named KPN Man of the Match three times last month.

This is the first time Sem Steijn has been named Eredivisie Player of the Month. He follows in the footsteps of former FC Twente forward Václav Černý, who won the award in May 2023. Steijn edged out AZ attackers Troy Parrott and Ibrahim Sadiq in the competition for the honour.

The election for the Eredivisie Player of the Month, Johan Cruijff Talent of the Month, and the Eredivisie Team of the Month is based on statistics from Opta and votes from football fans (KPN Man of the Match). These criteria also factor into the selection for the Eredivisie Player of the Year and Johan Cruijff Talent of the Year. These awards are presented at the end of the season during the Eredivisie Awards.

The monthly elections are an initiative of Eredivisie CV in collaboration with ESPN, the Johan Cruyff Foundation, and VriendenLoterij. This partnership aims to celebrate and promote excellence in Dutch football, recognizing both individual talents and team performances throughout the season.