YOUTH YOUTH
Four 2018 youth stars now at World Cup: ‘Prediction is impossible’
Four Dutch internationals who won the 2018 UEFA Under-17 European Championship with Oranje Onder 17 are now competing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States. Brian Brobbey, Crysencio Summerville, Quinten Timber and Ryan Gravenberch are part of the Dutch squad in Kansas City, with a fifth player, Jurriën Timber, sidelined through injury.
Kees van Wonderen, their coach at the 2018 tournament, has admitted he could not have predicted which players would go on to senior success. Speaking from the Netherlands, Van Wonderen said: “I’ve learned that it’s not predictable. You might think a player has everything, but that same thought has also come up for players we never heard from again.”
The 2018 squad defeated Germany 3-0, Spain 2-0 and Serbia 2-0 in the group stage, then beat Ireland, England and Italy in the knockout rounds—all via penalty shoot-outs. Oranje Onder 17 scored all their penalties, with goalkeeper Joey Koorevaar delivering standout performances.
Van Wonderen’s midfield in the opening match included Wouter Burger, Quinten Timber and Bram Franken, with Ryan Gravenberch left out. Gravenberch, younger than the rest, later broke through at Liverpool. Brian Brobbey and Daishawn Redan led the attack, though Brobbey was not the first choice.
The former coach highlighted the unpredictability of talent development, noting that players like Denzel Dumfries, Jan Paul van Hecke, Virgil van Dijk and Micky van de Ven were overlooked in their youth. “Signing young players is like throwing money into a pond,” he said.
Van Wonderen also emphasized the role of professional attitude, citing Dusan Tadic’s influence at FC Twente. “When Tadic started training in the gym during his free time, the whole team followed,” he recalled. “That kind of example can change a career.”
Summerville has previously credited his former Leeds United teammate Raphinha with teaching him a professional work ethic. At Feyenoord, Summerville often played as the third-choice right winger behind Steven Berghuis and Luciano Narsingh.
Van Wonderen stressed that youth tournament success does not guarantee senior success. He pointed to players like Daan Disveld, who captained the 2011 winning side but later played in the amateurs. “A youth trophy gives no guarantees,” he said.
The 2018 team’s penalty proficiency—scoring all their spot-kicks—was a product of deliberate practice. “We trained them to pick a side and stick to it,” Van Wonderen explained. “But that doesn’t mean they’ll replicate that under World Cup pressure now.”
He concluded: “Brobbey, Timber, Gravenberch and Summerville have reached the World Cup. That’s a great achievement—but in the summer of 2018, I wasn’t convinced it would happen.”