HE IS SHAPING up to be an intriguing player to keep tabs on over the coming years and on Sunday afternoon 18-year-old Justin Kluivert proved his worth in spades once again with a stunning solo hat-trick.
Ajax enjoyed an easy time of it in the second half against bottom-placed Roda JC with space freely available against a fragile defence which had shipped 23 goals in 12 games so far this season.
Kluivert made the most of it and succeeded in producing an individual display which sheds further limelight onto a blossoming career which only began following his senior debut for Ajax back in January, aged 17.
While the 2017 Europa League finalists got the job done on Sunday, they found themselves 1-0 down against relegation-threatened Roda at the break.
This before a second-half revival inspired by Kluivert’s personal onslaught which saw Ajax score five without reply.
His first featured a neat one-two with Hakim Ziyech before rolling the ball past goalkeeper Hidde Jurjus to make it 1-1.
The winger next delivered a piledriver from range to double his own tally before he wrapped up the three points and his hat-trick with another curled effort inside the box after some quick feet to beat his marker.
Kluivert’s profile has been helped by his being the son of legendary Holland and ex-Barcelona and AC Milan star Patrick, however the record books show the teenager on Sunday achieved something his father never did — scoring a hat-trick for Ajax.
Kluivert scored 50 goals in 97 appearances for the club during three seasons in the 1990s where he picked up back-to-back Eredivisie titles as well as a Uefa Champions League in 1995.
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
Cheating the first time is difficult but it’s get easier every time. If world athletics bodies are serious there should be a lifetime ban for every offender, no excuses.
@EK:
Exactly, This can be easily done by making it too risky to cheat with illegal performance enhancers, a lifetime ban is the only way for proven cheats.
It’s a pretty big jump to drag Justin into this story other than for clickbait….and if I was offered 250,000 dollars I’d get my hands on some performance enhancing drugs for you too.
@Markonline: ah do you not think the PEDs made that jump a bit easier ??
@Limón Madrugada: it’s his coaches, not Gatlin.
@Markonline: Fair play, its all about the way you were brought up i suppose….
@Minom Pnnomm: so he did win a gold on drugs.
Hgh is everywhere..athletics and most sports at the highest level are a game of not getting caught
“Why always me?”
What a dope
How does this implicate Gatlin? Surely this applies to the BBC sports personality Of The year.
@Darren Egan: good point on the double standards. Plenty of potentially dodge English athletes. Farah and Kelly Holmes at the top of the list
Sir Bradley Williams…sky cycling in general
Who honestly gives a crap. So he runs one hundred metres really fast. Who gives a crap. I still have to go to work in the morning
Gatlin should have never been allowed to compete after the first time. Cheats have destroyed genuine competitors lives and taken the accolades deserving to them, Sonia O’ Sullivan comes to mind.
Seb Coe – what a clown
@Shane Gleeson: disaster of a tenure in his job generally.
And still the British press ignore the stink surrounding Mo Farah.
Anyone on a TUE from Waa is a cheat in my book, I think they are ALL on drugs but that is my personal opinion?