“I get a youth player in the A-selection if he increases the competition in our dressing room and if he has shown that he is ready for the next step as a person and player, this is the case with Mo.” Mark Van Bommel
High praise from the PSV head coach talking about teenage sensation Mohammed Ihattaren. Van Bommel, who worked with Ihattaren at U19s level, has taken an interest in the youngsters development and recently gifted him a chance to prove himself in PSVs first team. The former Dutch international gave Ihattaren his first PSV start this season; making him the first player in the clubs history to make the jump from the U19s side to the first team without playing in the U23s.
Coming from a Moroccan heritage, but representing the Dutch side in their successful U17s European Championship campaign, Ihattaren has caught the eye of Europes elite clubs. Ihattaren quickly committed his future to PSV however, signing a professional contract in March which keeps him at the club until 2020. A snub to the lure of Europes wealth; the youngster was quick to turn down advances from Barcelona and Man City, keen not to see his talent get thrown on the scrap heap of players who chose money too soon.
A grounded player, with supreme confidence in his own ability and not afraid to choose whats best for him as a player over whats best financially. This is what Van Bommel alludes to in his quote above when he mentions the person and the player. One is not complete without the other, so when coaches discover a young man demonstrating a level of maturity beyond his years, they sit up and take notice.
This tactical analysis explains why Ihattaren is one of those young men, and by looking at the technical facets of his game, why people are taking notice.
Position: versatile
Being just 17 and a skilful midfielder, naturally, Ihattaren has caught the eye of internet scouts. But the youngster is far more than a box of 5-star FIFA tricks and has a more nuanced style than a flashy Youtube montage could ever portray. Below we take a closer look.
For his age, Ihattaren is extremely versatile, being able to play a number of roles across the midfield. His favoured position, and where he is particularly adept is right wing or left wing. The left-footed youngster is most dangerous playing on the right wing and cutting inside on his stronger foot.
The heat map above shows Ihattaren is capable of playing a range of positions but favours the right side. Using his pace and dribbling ability Ihattaren is able to manufacture himself space when cutting inside, which he uses to either cross or shoot. Such is his ability and composure on the ball Ihattaren can also play CAM and has even been used in a deeper centre-midfield role as a six or an eight.
