Topic at SGE, Bavaria & BVB
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Ruud Nijstad was traded at FC Bayern, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt, among others, but initially decided to stay at FC Twente Enschede. The Eredivisie club announced the extension with the central defender talent until 2029. He was previously tied until 2027. From the Bundesliga, the SGE in particular was considered interested in the 18-year-old.
“Many clubs, national and especially international, wanted his signature, but he decided to continue his young career at FC Twente. He feels at home here and would like to take further steps,” says the club’s announcement about the extension. Nijstad came to Enschede in 2018 and went through the academy there. He made his first professional appearance at the age of 17 years, eight months and 18 days, making him one of the club’s youngest debutants this millennium. He has increased his market value to 10 million euros so far, making him the fifth most valuable U18 central defender in the world.
“In the last six months I was able to experience and learn a lot at FC Twente. I don’t feel like I’m done with football here at FC Twente. I had a lot of decisions and I thought about them carefully. After listing all the pros and cons, it gave me the best feeling to stay here in my own environment. As a footballer, I can still take steps at FC Twente and I think this is my best learning environment. Next season I’m especially looking forward to the European games, I’ve never experienced that before,” Nijstad said.
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Technical director Erik ten Hag said he was pleased to be able to continue relying on the top youngster: “Last season, Ruud made his first-team debut at the age of 17 and showed that he is a very talented defender. It is not for nothing that there was a lot of interest in him, including from European superpowers. We are pleased that Ruud has decided to extend his contract. He feels at home here, the supporters are proud of him and he has a strong connection to the region. At FC Twente we have that the skills to develop him further, he is an added value to achieve our high goals. It is wonderful to see a regional player from our own academy go through this development. Let it be an example for other talented players. As a regional club, it gives young players the opportunity to perform at the highest level, both nationally and internationally.