Youri Regeer named as the Johan Cruyff Talent of the Month
20-year-old Youri Regeer has clinched his first award in the Eredivisie: among all players aged 21 or younger since the start of the season, he delivered the best performance in September, based on Opta statistics and votes from football fans. This achievement earns Regeer his first ever Johan Cruyff Talent of the Month award.
Though primarily a midfielder, the 20-year-old stepped in as FC Twente's new left-back due to Gijs Smal's injury. He excelled in this role, as the Haarlem-born player helped FC Twente secure victories over FC Volendam (0-2), AFC Ajax (3-1), Vitesse Arnhem (1-0), and sc Heerenveen (1-0), with only a late-minute loss to RKC Waalwijk (1-0).
Impressive in both offensive and defensive statistics
Statistically, Regeer had an excellent overall month. He consistently ranked in the top 3 for FC Twente in both offensive and defensive statistics, with the team conceding only two league goals that month and keeping three clean sheets. In September, only one defender had more touches in the opposition penalty area than Regeer (15). He also ranked in the top 3 among defenders for most successful passes in the attacking third (58) and was involved in 21 attacking sequence involvements that resulted in a shot (including two shots, five chances created, and being part of the buildup play 14 times).
In the monthly competition, Youri Regeer outperformed other candidates, including Johan Bakayoko (PSV) and Myron van Brederode (AZ). As part of his award, the FC Twente player will receive a cheque for €2,500 on behalf of the Friends Lottery (VriendenLoterij), designated for his former amateur club SV Zandvoort. Regeer began his football career at the Zandvoort-based amateur club and even coached the U-23 team there. In addition, his selection netted €5,000 to boost social projects of the Cruyff Foundation.
Eredivisie Awards
The Eredivisie Player of the Month, Johan Cruyff Talent of the Month, and the Eredivisie Team of the Month are selected based on statistics (Opta) and votes from football fans (KPN Man of the Match). These criteria also play a role in the shortlist for the Eredivisie Player of the Year and Johan Cruyff Talent of the Year awards. These awards, along with those in the Azerion Women's Eredivisie, are presented each season at the Eredivisie Awards.
The Eredivisie Player of the Month election is an initiative of the Eredivisie CV in collaboration with ESPN and EA SPORTS FC™ 24. The Johan Cruyff Talent of the Month election is organized by the Eredivisie CV in partnership with ESPN, the Cruyff Foundation, and the Friends Lottery (VriendenLoterij).
