Tuesday 12 July 2016 15:58, UK
As Tottenham sign AZ Alkmaar striker Vincent Janssen on a four-year deal, we shed some light on last season's Eredivisie top scorer.
Wolfsburg had been keen on landing a player likened to former Manchester United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy but after having one bid rejected last month, Mauricio Pochettino finally secured Janssen's services on Monday for £18.6m.
Can Janssen follow in the footsteps of some of the Eredivisie's greatest exports? We cast our eye over the Dutchman...
Factfile
Name: Vincent Janssen
Age: 22
Place of birth: Heesch, Netherlands
Position: Striker
Former clubs: Almere City, AZ Alkmaar
Background
Sporting prowess runs in Janssen's genes. His mother, Annemarie, was a highly-decorated swimmer, winning three Olympic medals, a World Championship gold and Dutch Sportswoman of the Year award in 1982.
Vincent began his own sporting career in the youth ranks of Feyenoord but despite scoring a hat-trick as his side sealed the national youth title, the fledging talent was released in the summer of 2013.
Undeterred, he dropped to Dutch second-tier side Almere City and proved a hit at the Yanmar Stadion, finding the net 32 times in 74 appearances.
Janssen's form and application attracted the attention of AZ in 2015 and after an underwhelming start, when he went eight games without scoring, a brace against Twente proved a turning point.
He went on to score 20 goals in the second half of the season - the first player in 52 years to do so - and his 27-goal haul in 34 games made him the Eredivisie's top scorer. His form was recognised by national team manager Danny Blind and after making his Netherlands debut earlier this year, Janssen has gone on to win five caps, scoring three goals - including one in a 2-1 win against England at Wembley in March.
He also won the 2016 Johan Cruyff Trophy for the Eredivisie's young player of the year - an accolade that has been won by Tottenham players past and present in Rafael van der Vaart and Christian Eriksen.
Style of play
Janssen is more than just a good finisher; his strength, mobility, hold-up play and passing range have all been talked up in the Netherlands, as well as his qualities as a team player.
Janssen is an able target man himself but has already spoken of his hope to play alongside Harry Kane.
"(Kane's) a great striker but we will see how it goes," he told Algemeen Dagblad. "We can complement each other, I think I can learn a lot from him."
Janssen's goal-scoring endeavours have drawn comparisons to Van Nistelrooy, who also kicked-off his career in the Dutch second tier, and though Spurs' new boy cheekily told De Telegraaf, "My stats are a bit better!", he revealed the now assistant boss of the Dutch national side has helped his game.
"I have talked to him about certain situations. He has helped me. That real striker instinct that Van Nistelrooy has, he is trying to give to me," Janssen told the paper in March.
What he says
"I can look back on a great season. For me to score so many goals and get in the Holland team and also to score against England at Wembley, makes it the best football year of my life."
"I am ready for a big step up. To be realistic the big Dutch clubs cannot afford me. That's not because of my wages, it's the transfer fee."
"It is a beautiful club with a fantastic stadium and heaps of potential. Anyone in my shoes would take this step."
What they say
"Not only did he convert many of his shots on goal, he is a team player who is good at receiving the ball and he shows a tremendous work ethic." - former Ajax and Netherlands player Wim Jonk, on Janssen winning the Johan Cruyff Trophy.
"There has not been a day that he has not trained optimally. That shows his character: he is a fighter, a hardy spirit. Therein lies his greatest strength: he is able to work exceptionally hard and very much so to keep defenders busy." - Janssen's former youth coach Gaston Taument, to FourFourTwo.
"He holds the ball up really well, knows where the goal is. Technically, he should be able to compete, so now it's just whether he can handle the pressure and expectation." - former Ajax and Netherlands defender Mario Melchiot to Sky Sports News HQ.
