A skilful and progressive defender, Jurrien joined in the summer after establishing himself for both Ajax and the Dutch national team. Usually deployed in central defence for Ajax, the right-footed defender is also comfortable at right full back and even in midfield, and has a superb passing range when bringing the ball out of defence. He made his first-team debut with Ajax at the age of 18 in 2020 and then went on to win the league title in both 2020/21 and 2021/22. He was named Eredivisie Player and Talent of the Year in 2021/22, and also won Ajax’s Marco van Basten Award for Talent of the Year that same season.
He was ever present in the league last season, and also played four times for his country at the Qatar World Cup. A senior international since making his debut in June 2021, he was part of the Netherlands’ European Under-17 Championship winning side in 2018, alongside his twin brother Quinten. He scored penalties in the shootouts in each of the three knock out games in that tournament, and also netted the opening goal in the final against Italy, played at Rotherham’s New York Stadium. A youth international from the under-15 age group onwards, his brother Dylan is also a professional footballer in the Netherlands, and represents Curacao at international level (their father’s nationality).
