All About Maikel Kieftenbeld

Maikel Kieftenbeld is becoming a household name amongst Bluenoses. The Dutch 25 year old footballer was of little relevance to our lives before joining the Blues’ and therefore many were sceptical about whether he could handle the physicality of the English game.

Now, the fact of the matter is, we employ scouts to go and do this for us. We rely on their expertise to bring us back a player who is physically capable of handling their own as well as one who is skilled on the ball. It is safe to say, our scouts should get a pay rise after picking out Maikel Kieftenbeld.

The defensive midfielder has been integral to what we have done well so far this season. He is making Gleeson look good due to their continued partnership of simple passing in the right areas. It works and both players are combining really well together.

Maikel Kieftenbeld is what I always refer to as a pitch ninja. He doesn’t take all the headlines and glory but he is always there and preventing danger from occurring. If he was taking out of the team, we would have a serious problem because his positioning deters the opposition from attempting through balls and so it is vital that he remains in the side. He also has a good aggression about him in terms of always wanting to win the ball. Yes, sometimes a foul is given away but that’s all part of the game. Show me a defensive midfielder that has never committed a foul. Exactly, there isn’t one.

Another thing that I like about him is that he sets attacks up. Sometimes a player who isn’t as able as Maikel Kieftenbeld will try and play the hollywood pass to try and set up a counter. This is all well and good if you’re Paul Scholes but most players are no where near and so the easy pass is often the best option. Maikel makes his passes look easy because he is well practised and knows exactly where his team mates are. His vision is one of the best I have seen and this is credit to him for building a relationship with his fellow team mates so quickly.

It’s not often that we see a truly gifted football brain but I believe that Maikel Kieftenbeld has one. He understands football in a way that others don’t. He reads the game so well that he is able to anticipate where the ball is going to go but also react to it. This type of player needs to be given the glory as they rarely get the limelight due to lack of goals.