10 things you need to know about Georginio Wijnaldum

By Mirror Football in Football Spy

Published 14:21 08/04/10

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Nineteen year-old Feyenoord midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is the latest player to roll off Holland's seemingly endless the conveyor belt of young talent.

He's attracting interest from many of Europe's top clubs, and Liverpool are the most prominent English team to have been linked with the flying right-sided Dutchman .

Here's your essential need-to-know...

1) Georginio Gregion Emile Wijnaldum was born in the city of Rotterdam in November 1990. His mother moved to Amsterdam when he was just six years old, but Georginio stayed behind and was raised up by his grandmother. He comes from a footballing family. Younger brother Giliano currently plies his trade for Eredivise side, AZ Alkmaar.

2) Remarkably he claimed to have no interest in football whatsoever as a child, and much preferred gymnastics. It was only when he was invited to join Sparta Rotterdam's academy aged six-years old following an open day that his love for the game was first awakened.

3) A handful for defenders and a mouthful for English fans, Wijnaldum used to be known as Georginio Boateng before taking his mother's maiden name instead. Luckily for Liverpool fans, he also goes by the nickname of 'Gini'.

4) An attacking midfielder made in the classic 'number ten' mould, Gini is two-footed, but deployed as a right-sided midfielder at current club, Feyenoord.  His attacking instincts, technical ability, and midfield versatility have seen him likened to fellow Dutchman and Real Madrid star, Rafael Van der Vaart.

5) He was named Rotterdam's Talent of the Year in 2007 and earned a move to top Eredivise side, Feyenoord. In April that year, aged just 16 and 148 days, Wijnaldum became the youngest player to appear in their first team. Despite making his bow in a 4-0 defeat to  FC Groningen, Gini was still named Feyenoord's man of the match.

6) He bagged his first goal for Feyenoord in December of the following season, scoring in a 6-0 win over Heracles Almelo, and made his European bow a year later, playing in the two-legged UEFA Cup preliminary round victory over Swedish side Kalmar FF.

7) He's since gone on to make over 80 appearances for Feyenoord, chipping in nine goals in the process. Here's the obligatory fan-made compilation showing off his skills:

8)After impressing for the U-17s and U-19s, he received his first Netherlands U-21 call-up for a friendly against England in August, 2009. Gini got his first - and to date only - cap a month later, turning out in a European Under-21 Football Championship qualifier against Finland.

9) He may bear an uncanny resemble to ex-Feyenoord winger and current Real Madrid star, Royston Drenthe, but Wijnaldum is unlikely to follow him out of the Eredivise in the immediate future as he recently signed a new contract that will keep him at Feyenoord until 2012.

10) That said, Liverpool fans will be pleased to note that Wijnaldum's footballing role model is countryman Dirk Kuyt - who left Feyenoord for Anfield in 2006. The 19 year-old has spoken of following in the striker's footsteps once he has learnt his trade in Holland. Watch this space...

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