The 10 biggest risers in the Eredivisie

What is the SciSkill? The SciSkill score consists of a combination of the attacking, defending and resistance factors (depending on the league) of a player. The growth of the SciSkill is the increase in the SciSkill score in the last six months.

10. Zakaria El Azzouzi (Sparta Rotterdam)

SciSkill development relative to the previous six months: +18.4
Current SciSkill: 63.2

20-year-old Zakaria El Azzouzi is a loanee from Ajax currently playing for Sparta Rotterdam. So far, he missed only one Eredivisie match due to a injury, starting the other 17. He scored four goals and gave one assist, but hasn’t contributed to a goal since November 4th, when he scored in the 3-1 victory against Heerenveen. This is the second time the striker has been loaned out, after playing for FC Twente in the second half of last season (4 goals in 13 matches).

9. Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax (Reserves))

SciSkill development relative to the previous six months: +20
Current SciSkill: 52.2

One of the revelations of this season at Ajax is undoubtedly Matthijs de Ligt. The 17-year-old central defender has seen a rapid development, starting the season in Ajax U19 and is even allowed to still play for the highest junior team next season. However, this season, De Ligt is a starting player for the Ajax Reserves playing in the Jupiler League and even started two matches for the senior squad in the Europa League. He has already managed to secure a regular place in the match squad of manager Peter Bosz. His SciSkill value will only get higher once he makes more minutes in Ajax 1.

8. Davinson Sánchez (Ajax)

SciSkill development relative to the previous six months: +20
Current SciSkill: 69.4

The 20-year-old Davinson Sánchez has hardly known any adjustment problems at Ajax. The Colombian central defender made his starting debut in the second game of the season and hasn’t missed a minute since. A physically strong and quick defender, he is especially strong defensively, but also scored three times already this season. He especially showed to be a weapon during set pieces.

7. Rick van Drongelen (Sparta Rotterdam)

SciSkill development relative to the previous six months: +20
Current SciSkill: 49.1

Rick van Drongelen became the first player ever with thirteen Eredivisie duels for Sparta before his eighteenth birthday, according to VI. The central defender has made great progress and is named with thick letters in the book of scout Piet de Visser. He missed only two Eredivisie games this season and keeps the more experienced Bart Vriends behind him. What is his ceiling?

6. Sofyan Amrabat (FC Utrecht)

SciSkill development relative to the previous six months: +20.7
Current SciSkill: 57.3

When Bart Ramselaar moved from Utrecht to PSV last summer, the question was who the club was going to purchase to replace Ramselaar. Manager Erik ten Hag had the answer: he didn’t see the need to spent money on a new player and saw 20-year-old Sofyan Amrabat as Ramselaar’s successor. Amrabat acknowledges that he is not as technically refined as Ramselaar and that he plays in the position of central midfielder in FC Utrecht’s 4-4-2 system in a different manner than his predecessor. The midfielder is a typical box-to-box midfielder who can do his part, both defensively and offensively. He is still waiting for his first Eredivisie goal this season, but already gave three assists.

5. Oussama Idrissi (FC Groningen)

SciSkill development relative to the previous six months: +21.1
Current SciSkill: 47.4

Oussama Idrissi’s strong growth is mainly due to the first quarter the season. The 20-year-old winger scored three times and gave an assist in the first nine games of the season. After that, he missed a few games with a foot injury and lost his place in the starting eleven. After the winter break, Idrissi was forced to start on the bench in Heracles’ home defeat against Groningen (1-4).

4. Giovanni Troupée (FC Utrecht)

SciSkill development relative to the previous six months: +21.6
Current SciSkill: 50.1

FOX Sports presenter and reporter Pascal Kamperman thought Giovanni Troupée was one of biggest talents of 2016. The SciSkill Index also sees the 18-year-old right wing back making a strong development. Compared with the last six months, his SciSkill score grew by as much as 21.6. With two goals and two assists, Troupée already contributed nicely to FC Utrecht’s strong series of matches. Since his goal against Go Ahead Eagles (15 October) they have not lost a single game.

3. Justin Hoogma (Heracles)

SciSkill development relative to the previous six months: +24.9
Current SciSkill: 44.7

Presumed to be second choice behind Ramon Zomer this season, but the opposite turned out true. In the away match against Arouca Zomer picked up a knee injury and Justin Hoogma replaced him ever since. Hoogma is only eighteen, but, along with five other field players in the Eredivisie, played every match in its entirety this season. Hoogma is also the only field player in Europe under 20 who has not missed a minute. The Heracles defender shares the lead with three goalkeepers: Alban Lafont (Toulouse), Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan) and Adam Jakubech (Spartak Trnava).

2. Kasper Dolberg (Ajax)

SciSkill development relative to the previous six months: +25.4
Current SciSkill: 64.7

After the departure of Arek Milik, Bertrand Traoré was brought in this summer as Ajax’ new number nine. Traoré began the first league match as a striker of Ajax, but a week later someone else occupied the central forward position: the then 18-year-old Dane Kasper Dolberg. He arrived in the starting eleven quite out of nowhere after getting the chance from new trainer Peter Bosz to prove himself in the pre-season. Since then, Dolberg has been the number one striker for Ajax, scoring eight times in the Eredivise and also being important in the Europa League. However, his last goal dates from 20 November, when he scored a hattrick against NEC.

1. Joey Groenbast (Go Ahead Eagles)

SciSkill development relative to the previous six months: +26.9
Current SciSkill: 51.3

The 21-year-old Joey Groenbast played in the youth of Feyenoord and Sparta Rotterdam, before joining Go Ahead Eagles in the summer of 2014, where he initially joined the reserve team. On March 4th of last year, manager Hans de Koning let him debut as a right back in the home match against FC Emmen. In the first half of the current season, Groenbast played the full 90 minutes fourteen times in the Eredivisie.