For a nation of its size, the Netherlands has produced some ridiculous footballers. It’s been some time since a truly world-class player emerged, though, perhaps Kees Smit could be the one to end the wait.

By Alex Roberts

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich all reportedly think so anyway. As is so often the case, the big boys have come knocking, all wanting to sink their claws in any young talent with a whiff of something about them.

He certainly has bags of it. Primarily an attacking midfielder, Kees Smit has been used anywhere from a number six to a right winger during his time with Alkmaar’s senior team. There have been comparisons with Kevin de Bruyne, and not just because he’s very pale and ginger.

His manager, Maarten Martens said it best, “He sees things that other players don’t see.” Smit has a remarkable eye for an incisive line splitting pass, so far this season he’s leading the Alkmaar charts when it comes to chances created with 12, three of which can be considered ‘big.’

Smit’s fancy footwork has also proven to be a huge asset; he’s only behind winger and fellow academy graduate Ro-Zangelo Daal in terms of successful dribbles per 90 with 1.6 compared to Daal’s 2.3.

Watching him play, it’s easy to forget he’s only 19, but then he’ll do something, that makes you remember. Smit has won possession in the final third more than any other Alkmaar player with 1.3 per 90 mins, but he’s also committed the most fouls per 90 (1.9). He can be a little over enthusiastic at times, but that will be stamped out in time

His future is something that Smit has addressed, suggesting he will prioritise his development over the bright lights, “First, I want to show here that I can do well and be important.” He told HN Nieuws

“The interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid is positive, but if I go there, I don’t know how many times I’ll play. I enjoyed watching it and reading about it. They’re very good things, without a doubt, perhaps the two biggest clubs in the world. Nothing is concrete. There’s just interest.”

Bayern tried to scoop him up like a childless millennial’s cat and take him to Bavaria back in back in 2020, but he turned them down, instead signing his first professional deal with AZ Alkmaar in January 2021.

That turned out to be a bright decision. He has a remarkable football brain under all that ginger hair, while with the Alkmaar academy, moonlighting with the five-a-side team, he scored one of the most unique goals, dribbling past three Fulham players, before smashing the ball at the wall so it rebounded into the net.

By this point he was training with the first team but still balling for the Under-19s. Smits played a key role as Alkmaar went on a surprise run to the UEFA Youth League title in 2022-23.

Alkmaar beat Eintracht Frankfurt, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Sporting on their way to the final, scoring 14 goals and conceding just two in the process. They met Croatian side Hajduk Split in the final, which they won 5-0.

Smit scored the goal of the tournament in the win over Barcelona. He picked up the ball in his own half, ran at the opposition defender, who couldn’t take his eye off the ball, but that didn’t matter.

Reaching the top of the centre circle, he spotted the Barcelona keeper off his line. “Schroef het,” he thought — and let fly. The young keeper scrambled back, but he could do nothing as Smit broke the deadlock from just inside the opposition half.

Despite his impressive 2022-23 UEFA Youth League campaign, he was made to wait for his first team debut. Another season with the reserves came and went before he was handed his first Eredivisie appearance in March 2024 at 18 years and 48 days old, coming on as a late substitute in a 4-0 victory over Excelsior.

Last season was his real breakout campaign. Maarten Martens, who came in to replace Pascal Jansen last January and gave Smit his debut, started giving him more and more chances, and he hasn’t looked back since.

He bagged his first senior goal just 11 minutes after coming off the bench in Alkmaar’s 3-1 Europa League win over José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe. Smit played the ball off to Sven Mijnans, who backheeled it right back to him. He had a defender in his way, but a cute lil shimmy found him one-on-one with the ‘keeper, and he slotted it home.

Not long after, he got his first assist, playing a perfectly weighted ball through to Denso Kasius who rounded the Fenerbahçe ‘keeper and put it just beyond the reach of Sebastian Szymanski, who had scurried back to the goal line.

He had likely expected to be one of the first names on the team sheet after that impressive cameo, but that didn’t happen. He got regular playing time, but Martens continued to limit his minutes, much to Smit’s dismay.

After only playing 19 minutes in a 1-0 home win against Fortuna Sittard on February 23, the playmaker allowed his feelings to boil over and publicly called out his boss. It could have backfired, but Martens took it as proof of the teenager’s strength of character, and he started six of AZ’s final eight Eredivisie games.

Once the curtain came down on the domestic season, Smit was handed the opportunity to represent his country at the summer’s U19 Euros. It’s fair to say, he took it with both hands, scoring in each of the Netherlands’ first four wins against Germany, Norway, England and Romania.

Facing a Spain side beat Germany 6-5 after extra time in the semi’s, Smit put in a man of the match performance before ultimately winning the Golden Boot and being named the Player of the Tournament.

He’s nailed down a spot in Alkmaar’s starting eleven so far this season, but it’s unlikely Smit will be playing in the Netherlands for much longer. For now, they should enjoy him while they can and be proud to have produced someone such amazing talent, because players like Smit don’t come about often.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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