– does that identify ring a bell? When you’re an actual Bundesliga nerd or a fan, the penny might have already got dropped. The 26-year-old performed for Werder Bremen for half a yr from August 2020 to January 2021.
5 years later, Chong will face the with on the World Cup tonight at 7 p.m. However really, he was presupposed to be the brand new Arjen Robben lining up for the on the World Cup. Excuse me?
On paper, that declare sounds fairly extraordinary at first. Curaçao has belonged to the Netherlands since colonial occasions, and despite the fact that it has been an autonomous nation throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands since 2010, all residents maintain Dutch citizenship. Don’t fear, that doesn’t mechanically make Chong the brand new Arjen Robben. It’s extra about his footballing expertise. Or somewhat, to appropriate ourselves: expertise that was as soon as thought-about distinctive.
📸 Oliver Hardt – 2020 Getty Photographs
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When Chong joined Werder Bremen on mortgage in 2020, he nonetheless carried the popularity of a wonderkid. Having come via the youth ranks at Feyenoord Rotterdam, the midfielder, identified for his dribbling and ending and for chopping in from the wing to the middle at a younger age identical to Robben as soon as did, had already made his method to at 16. Whereas the Dutch press had lengthy since picked Chong as Robben’s designated successor, issues initially went nicely for him on the Purple Devils too.
Regardless of a critical knee damage in the beginning of his transfer, the midfielder shortly grew to become a key participant in United’s U18s and from the 2017/18 season onward performed more and more for the Purple Devils’ U23s. United even awarded Chong the ‘Jimmy Murphy Younger Participant of the Yr Award’ for the membership’s greatest youth participant of the season. Earlier winners embrace Ryan Giggs and . In contrast to Giggs and Rashford, nonetheless, Chong had not grow to be a United star by his mid-20s.
“I’ve all the time felt like a free spirit,” the now 26-year-old instructed ‘Deichstube’ when he arrived at Werder Bremen. And that’s in all probability precisely the place Chong’s greatest downside lies. Coaches repeatedly accused him of missing tactical understanding. Too many errors underneath strain and never sufficient physicality triggered main disappointment each in and at Werder. As soon as hailed as a wonderkid and the longer term Robben, Chong now “solely” performs in England’s second division.
After struggling a torn meniscus in the beginning of the season, he was restricted to temporary appearances for Sheffield United within the marketing campaign simply ended. In 21 matches, Tahith Chong recorded one help and failed to attain. Possibly he’ll do this for “The Blue Wave” on the World Cup?
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In six appearances for his homeland thus far, Chong has already scored thrice. Most just lately within the 4-1 pleasant defeat to on the finish of Could. Right here, he appears to carry precisely the correct quantity of free spirit that his crew wants. Taking part in for Curaçao means all the things to the attacker, as he instructed ‘FIFA.com’.
“It simply felt like dwelling. Each summer time and virtually each trip, I’m going again. When the chance got here, the choice was clear: you go the place you are feeling at dwelling.”
It was solely final yr that Chong determined in favor of Curaçao. Earlier than that, the previous wonderkid was nonetheless hoping for a call-up to Oranje. Nonetheless, on the Blue Wave, Chong is the star above all just because he has the second-highest market worth within the crew (€3.5 million). In response to ‘Transfermarkt.de’, solely PSV defender is valued increased (€4 million).
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He’s the one present worldwide born in Curaçao. That’s the place he realized to play soccer after the 2006 World Cup.
“I watched the ultimate between and with Zinédine Zidane’s headbutt. Again then I supported France – I nonetheless don’t know why – and I cried after the sport. After that, I instructed my father: I’m going to play soccer.”
So 20 years later, Tahith Chong actually is enjoying at a World Cup in North America. Who is aware of what else it might nonetheless have in retailer for Curaçao’s wonderkid.
This text was translated into English by Synthetic Intelligence.