Scouting Report: Emmanuel van de Blaak by Raphaël Bejczy (@ScoutEredivisie)
Country: Netherlands/Nigeria
Date of birth: 15/02/2005 (16 years old)
Place of birth: Nigeria
Height: 184cm
Youth career: RKVV JEKA, Willem II, PSV Eindhoven (since 2020)
Current club: PSV Eindhoven/Jong PSV
Squad number: —
Current national team: Netherlands U-17
Position: centre-back
Preferred foot: right
Market value (by transfermarkt.de): —
Contract until: 30.06.2023
Player’s agent: Louis Laros (Soccer Vision)
Transfer rumours: —
Similar type of player: Jules Koundé
Strengths:
– Straight passes Very strong
– Physique Very strong
– Tackles Very strong
– Interceptions Very strong
– Perseverance Very Strong
– Decision making with the ball Very Strong
– Groundpasses Very Strong
– Positioning Strong
– Jumping Strong
– Pace Strong
– Vision Strong
Weaknesses:
– Timing in the air
– Offensive headers
– First touch
– agility
Style of play:
– Strong dominant centre back
– Likes to play the ball straight into the feet of his teammates
– Often skips a line for a pass through
– Plays with much confidence
– Looks very calm on the ball
– Always tries to find a footballing solution when under pressure and takes risks
– Gives a lot of long balls
– Presses aggressively
– Tackles a lot, on good occasions
– Dominates in physique duels
He is best suited for playing as:
A right-sided centre-back in 4-3-3.
Video:
League summary (as for 11/10/2021):
Eerste Divisie 2021/2022: 7 games/0 goals (Jong PSV)
Description:
It all went really fast for Van de Blaak in the last few years. In 2015 he still played for an amateur club, before joining Willem II in the summer. At Willem II, former head coach Adrie Koster decided to give him minutes in a friendly game against Ajax in november 2019. Van De Blaak was only 14 years old at that time. After rejecting Feyenoord, Van de Blaak joined PSV in 2020, and after one year at PSV he already got promoted to Jong PSV. Nowadays at 16 years old he’s playing against opponents twice his age in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, but does not succumb to the pressure.
His tackles and ball recoveries are a pleasure to watch. He seems to have a natural instinct of when and how to interrupt to win the ball back. Van de Blaak is a type of defender that will always try to find a footballing solution to every situation and likes to take risks in his style of play. He also gives a lot of good straight passes that skip a line on the pitch. It’s a joy to see the confidence he has on the ball.
Van de Blaak can learn really fast in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, because against grown men he doesn’t have the same physique advantages as in youth games. He needs to work on his timing in the air, offensive headers in corners, how to use his body against grown men and some more things. However, there is still a lot of time to improve, and Van de Blaak seems to be a rapid learner. It’s very impressive to see him play considering he is so young. If he keeps improving and working hard, he’ll get chances in the first squad of Roger Schimdt in a matter of time.
Quotes:
‘’I’m a fast central defender with tight passing. I’m also a leader on the pitch. I wouldn’t consider myself as a ‘boring defender’. I’m a modern defender that likes to dribble into the midfield.’’
Potential Rating: 9/10