Team of the Season is just around the corner, so we thought we'd make some predictions for who we expect to see in each of the major league Team of the Season squads coming during the promo this year.
Through the words of Patric, and the graphics of Helmar Designs, we'll show you who's expected to star in each team, explain the reasons for their inclusion, and give you a glimpse of what their Team of the Season Items could look like.
Previously, we've looked at who could be in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and LaLiga TOTS squads, but today we'll be taking a look at potential players from the Eredivisie.
Eredivisie Team of the Season Prediction
Eredivisie TOTS Starting XI
GK: Nick Olij (Sparta Rotterdam)
Starting with the goalkeeper in the Eredivisie TOTS and this was a tough decision to make and I ended up including Sparta Rotterdam's Nick Olij. The 26-year-old joined Sparta last summer from NAC Breda and since then has established himself as one of the best keepers in the league. Sparta Rotterdam had their best first half of the season in 50 years and Olji became the second goalkeeper ever to win the KPN Player of the Month award. If Olij won't make it we can expect to see either Justin Bijlow or Lars Unnerstall.
LB: Gijs Smal (Twente)
Coming from Volendam in 2020, Gijs Smal established himself as one of the best left-backs this season in the Eredivisie, defensively and also in attack. You could easily include Twente's whole backline but Smal stands out on his position with one goal and nine assists and should pick up a TOTS card.
CB: Dávid Hancko (Feyenoord)
Centre-backs are actually a spot with a lot of options available for a TOTS and one of my picks is Feyenorrds Dávid Hancko. The Slovakian, who can play as a centre-back but also as a left-back, is a constructive defender with excellent parameters for football and is one of the key players in Feyenoord's title challenge against Ajax.
CB: Jurriën Timber (Ajax)
Jurriën Timber had already managed to make a name for himself on multiple levels by the age of 20. Now an established member of the Eredivisie’s dominant champions, AFC Ajax, the young defender has burst onto the scene over the past couple of seasons. Following Ten Haag's move to Manchester United rumours are still going around that he'll follow him this summer as he admitted he wants to join a new club in the summer. Things will get interesting as soon as the season ends and we'll see where he will end up playing.
RB: Lutsharel Geertruida (Feyenoord)
Lutsharel Geertruida is regarded as one of the most promising young defenders in the Eredivisie, having made his professional first-team debut on 25 October 2017 in the second round of the KNVB Cup against AVV Swift, aged just 17. Geertruida is enjoying an impressive season with Feyenoord and a number of clubs in Europe are said to be interested in signing him. The 22-year-old has made a total of 24 appearances so far this season and has three goals and one assist to his name. He recently signed a contract extension but it looks unlikely he'll stay another season.
CM: Orkun Kökcü (Feyenoord)
Orkun Kökcü, Feyenoord’s 22-year-old playmaker, has flourished under manager Arne Slot. This season, Kökcü has made the transition from being an offensive midfielder in the final third to a more defensive midfielder, dictating the pace of the game from the middle third. The Turkish midfielder scored eight goals and assisted two more in 29 league games in 2022-23, not as good as in his previous two seasons but with him being a bit more defensive-minded this season he has other jobs to do and should be in TOTS which will probably his last Eredivisie one as a move in the summer is likely.
CAM: Xavi Simons (PSV)
One of the surprise signings for PSV Eindhoven this summer, Xavi Simons arrived in Eredivisie with a huge reputation. The midfielder came through the Barcelona academy before joining PSG, where he made a handful of first-team appearances. The Netherlands U19 international was in talks over a new deal, but instead made the move to PSV. Xavi Simons has had a huge reputation since a young age and he had the perfect debut for PSV, coming off the bench to score a lovely goal in the 5-3 win over Ajax but this was just the start as he continued to be excellent for PSV, sitting at 14 goals and seven assists.
CAM: Steven Berghuis (Ajax)
Talking about the Eredivisie Team of the Season we always have a good amount of Ajax players in it and I expect the same again this time. Steven Berghuis is once again one of the key players of an Ajax side who picked up their form again after a run of bad games and Berghuis is at the heart of everything going forward. The Dutchman is at nine goals and nine assists so far this season and should be included again this Fifa.
RW: Vito van Crooij (Sparta Rotterdam)
Sparta Rotterdam's impressive 2022/23 campaign is not just because of their outstanding goalkeeper Nick Olij, it's also because of their attack and in particular Vito van Crooij. The Dutchman is a key player in their attack this season and with impressive numbers of 10 goals and 11 assists you absolutely can't ignore him this year when we're talking about Eredivisie TOTS.
CF: Dušan Tadić (Ajax)
Ajax captain Dušan Tadić making our team of the season was inevitable. Since rejoining in 2018, the Serb has been the Eredivisie’s Most Valuable Player in every single season. In this year’s edition, Tadić registered 9 goals and a phenomenal 17 assists. At 34 years old, Tadić seems more ambitious and fitter than ever. Maintaining Ajax’ dominance after the departure of director Marc Overmars and manager Erik ten Hag is one hell of a task, but with Tadić staying on, the transition might not be so tough.
ST: Santiago Giménez (Feyenoord)
Currently eight points clear at the top of the table, Feyenoord are flying this season as they continue the pursuit for their first league title since the 2016/2017 season. Arne Slot’s side has been ruthless in front of goal, netting 27 times in their last 10 league matches. 21-year-old striker Santiago Giménez has been the source of 13 of those goals, playing a crucial part in Feyenoord’s impressive run. With five league games left to go before the end of the season, Feyenoord’s top goal scorer will be looking to add to his tally. His physical presence and brilliant control of the ball are two desirable traits in a striker. If Giménez continues his impressive form there’s no doubt that some of the biggest clubs in Europe will make a move for the Mexican. Giménez is said to be on Manchester United’s shortlist of potential strikers.
Eredivisie TOTS Substitutes
RB: Joshua Brenet (Twente)
I've mentioned it earlier, Twente FC has the best defensive record this season so far with just 23 goals conceded and especially at home it's hard to score against them. Gijs Smal in the left-back position is the one to deliver assists but Joshua Brenet on the other side is the guy to score rather than assist, sitting at seven goals and three assists for Twente.
CM: Joey Veerman (PSV)
Despite sitting third, level on points with Ajax who's second, PSV Eindhoven is not enjoying their best season so far but one of the standout players tho is Joey Veerman. An unknown quantity to many, Veerman is a name that may have slipped under the radar lately after PSV captured the midfielder for under £5 million plus add-ons from Heerenveen last January. Since then, he has already racked up over 50 appearances for the Eindhoven side, scoring 13 goals and contributing 12 assists. What’s even more impressive is that output arrived while operating in all different midfield positions, as well as the left wing, last season, which highlights a player with tremendous versatility, talent, and an eye for progressive play. Regarded as one of the most creative midfielders in the Eredivisie, second only to Ajax’s Dušan Tadić, Veerman is an excellent technician with a range of attributes. He is adept at balancing control and tempo. He is rarely harried in possession; instead, he finds time for himself and adjusts the play’s speed to his, earning him the nickname Pirlo.
LW: Steven Bergwijn (Ajax)
Steven Bergwijn became Ajax’s record signing when he joined for £26 million, bringing an end to a three-season spell at Spurs during which he struggled for regular first-team action and managed just seven Premier League goals. And with his performances this season for Ajax it was the absolute right move as the Dutch winger currently sits at 11 goals and five assists for Ajax and could be back with an Eredivisie TOTS.
ST: Tasos Douvikas (Utrecht)
The last possible player in here is a debatable one but not because of his performances but because of the sheer amount of other options I had with the likes of Sydney van Hooijdonk, Vangelis Pavlidis or even Luuk de Jong. I decided to go with Tasos Douvikas who's Utrecht's top scorer in the 2022/23 campaign with 14 goals and four assists to his name.
When is the Eredivisie TOTS released for FIFA 23?
The Eredivisie TOTS is expected to be released on April 28th.
Do you agree with our Eredivisie Team of the Season? Did we miss anyone? Let us know in the comments!
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