Scout Report – Perr Schuurs
Young Fortuna Sittard defender Perr Schuurs seems to be in high demand in Europe. The 17-year old has been become a first-team regular for his club in the Dutch Eerste Divisie (second division) and has attracted serious interests from the likes of PSV Eindhoven, RB Leipzig, and Tottenham Hotspur.
However, it is another Premier League club that has moved ahead in the race as Liverpool have agreed to give Schuurs a trial at Anfield, according to football-orange.com. The reports claim that he will train with Liverpool’s reserve side and play in some upcoming exhibition matches.
Schuurs has burst on to the first-team picture for Sittard this season and at a tender age of 17, he has gone on to make 24 league appearances, establishing himself as a mainstay in the back line. He has scored twice so far this term as well.
So who exactly is Perr Schuurs? Why is a horde of big teams chasing him? Let’s take a look.
Footballing Background
Born on November 26, 1999, in the town of Nieuwstadt in the Limburg province of Netherlands, Schuurs began his footballing career with the Sittard academy. Having risen through the ranks rapidly; thanks to his loads of potential, the youngster broke into the Sittard U-19 side ahead of the 2015-16 season at the age of 15.
His displays for the U-19 team seemed to have caught the eye of the then senior team manager Ben van Dael, who handed Schuurs his first team debut in a 2-0 win over VVV Venlo in October 2016, as a 16-year old. Schuurs has gone from strength to strength since then, signing his first professional contract with the club not very long after his bow. He has now established himself as a first-choice centre-half for the club, and making 29 appearances across all competitions, scoring 4 times and setting up 2 more.
Style of Play
Primarily a right-footed centre-back, the 17-year old is also adept at playing the defensive midfielder role as well. Standing very tall at 1.91m, Schuurs has a strong and sturdy frame that strikers often find hard to shake off. The fact that he has already managed to accumulate so many games at such a young age gives an indication of his excellent defensive nous at the back.
The youngster has displayed great positional awareness and has displayed the maturity to not dive into tackles, but stay on his feet while defending. He also possesses a decent turn of pace that allows him to cover the ground quickly in dangerous situations. The fact that he has just received a single yellow card throughout the course of the season highlights his discipline and maturity at the back. With his height, Schuurs is a force to be reckoned with in the air and can be a huge goal threat in the opposition box from set-piece situations.
At 17, there is plenty of room for improvement for the teenager, but the signs so far are that of a star in the making.
What Does The Future Hold?
The reports claim that Liverpool have no future deal agreed that would allow them to sign Schuurs permanently after the trial, meaning Schuurs is free to choose his next destination among several top class clubs. It is highly unlikely that he will be staying at Fortuna Sittard beyond this season.