Rav van den Berg helped the Netherlands reach the semi-finals of the U21 Euros, when they were defeated by England
Rav van den Berg, a Middlesbrough defender, appears to have grabbed the eye of scouts at this summer’s Under-21 European Championships, with one former teammate describing his abilities as ‘a gift from mother nature’.
Van den Berg helped the Netherlands U21s reach the tournament’s semi-finals, when they were defeated by eventual winners England, in a game in which he reunited with Boro teammate Hayden Hackney. The couple stated they had joked about coming up against each other beforehand, and they were seen hugging in courteous circumstances at full-time.
After a difficult start, Van den Berg shone in England’s defeat, his third of the tournament. He was ineffective in the first two games, watching as his team tied 2-2 with Finland and then lost 2-1 to Denmark. Netherlands, who were introduced for the last group stage game, defeated Ukraine 2-0 to qualify and then kept a second clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over Portugal in the quarterfinals to set up a meeting with Lee Carsley’s Young Lions.
When asked about his effect following that quarter-final triumph, with two clean sheets in two games since his arrival, a modest Van den Berg told ESPN: “I don’t want to say that it’s my fault. Perhaps it’s because we’re more defensive, but we’re fine.”
Speaking to Dutch publication AD, his father Thijs Jan van den Berg revealed the type of upbringing the Boro star experienced, saying: “It just works beautifully as a team. It’s going way too far to credit Rav for just that. I believe that as a player, you should always be prepared and there to assist when needed, and he does so. Always work hard for what you want; that’s what we told him growing up.
The Netherlands may have disappointed in general, but Van den Berg appears to have come from Slovakia with his already good reputation reinforced even further. It comes during a summer in which the 20-year-old’s future at Boro is uncertain following two years with the club.
Michael Reiziger, the U21s’ manager and a former Boro player, said: “He had a great tournament and contributed a lot of energy when he joined the squad. Today, practically every time in the first half, he played one-on-one, and I believe he won a lot of them. So he’ll be really satisfied.”
Van den Berg’s remarkable exploits come two years after he joined Boro, having turned down other leading clubs around Europe. Boro’s main objective was to play games, which is why they were able to outbid other teams for the Dutch star.
He quickly made an impression on Teesside and concluded his debut season by earning the club’s Player of the Year title, as voted on by fans. However, injuries limited his ability to enjoy a consistent run of games last season, and as a result, his form suffered. Despite this, the general perception of the defender’s game and prospects remains positive, with his move to Boro regarded as beneficial to his development.
Former teammate Bram van Polen, who was working as an ESPN analyst, said of the Boro star: “Zwolle doesn’t see many major players come through, so everyone recognized the names of the Van den Berg brothers. He was sixteen years old, but already large and powerful. And far faster than he appears, both across short and long distances. That’s wonderful, a gift from Mother Nature.
“The relocation to England benefited him. Van den Berg was Middlesbrough’s player of the season last season. He had to leave his familiar surroundings in Zwolle. With us, he was occasionally a’sleepyhead’; things went too well. At Middlesbrough, he developed.”
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