Full Name: Royston Ricky Drenthe
Alias: Drenthe
Place of Birth: Rotterdam, Netherlands
Date of Birth: 08/04/1987
Position: Midfielder
Weight: 147 lbs. / 67 kg.
Height: 5’7” / 1.67 m.
Nationality: Dutch
The 2007 Under-21 European Championship served as Royston Drenthe’s coming out party. The Netherlands won the competition and the Dutch player was named Player of the Tournament by UEFA, none of which went unnoticed by Real Madrid scouts, who flew Drenthe from Rotterdam to Madrid shortly after the competition concluded.
Compared to fellow Dutchman Edgar Davids since coming on to the football scene, Drenthe is a combination of a Bulldog and Bengal Tiger on the pitch. He is extremely fast and has a flawless physique. His versatility makes him an all-around player capable of playing in several positions, but it’s along the left wing –on either end of the pitch- where he is at his best.
Drenthe played an key role on the Netherlands’ Under-21 squad that won the 2007 European championship and was responsible for the game winner against Belgium in the semifinal. Like several Dutch players including Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert and Frank Rijkaard, Drenthe is of Surinamese decent.
Royston developed his football within the walls of Feyenoord’s youth system and gained national attention by scoring a hat-trick against Ajax in the Otten Cup. He only played in three matches during his first year with the First Team, but in 2006/07 finally got his break and participated in 26 games.
Drenthe is your prototypical Dutch winger who is most efficient when glued to the length of the touchline. Astounding dribbling ability allows him to blow by defenders and make it to the byline to cross into the opponent’s box. He is also a set-piece specialist and possesses an extremely powerful shot.
