Teun Koopmeiners has been one of the outstanding midfielders in European football this season, playing a key role for Atalanta in their Europa League success. Expect him to be the driving force for the Netherlands at Euro 2024 this summer.
There is a particular quality that sets Koopmeiners apart from others at the tournament. "His stamina is amazing," Pascal Jansen tells Sky Sports. "His pressing and chasing abilities when out of possession, I would almost say they are inhuman."
Jansen was his head coach at AZ Alkmaar for two seasons prior to his move to Atalanta in 2021. The pair have since stayed in touch, Jansen watching on as a player initially deployed as a defender has gone on to emerge as an offensive force in Italy.
There have been 15 goals this past season, a return that has interested both Juventus and Liverpool. All very different to when he first came through at AZ. "The funny thing is that he also had a good profile to play as a central defender as well," says Jansen.
"He played some games there, top games, because it allowed us to create a plus one in midfield because of his experience as a midfield player. He had good sight, good awareness and was very comfortable on the ball with his view of the pitch.
"His preference was to play as a controlling midfielder, controlling the rhythm next to Fredrik Midtsjo, a Norway international. They worked well together as two holding midfield players. He kept the balance in the team, had a good eye for short and long passes."
The transformation in his game happened during his final season at AZ during which he scored 17 goals, a total bolstered by his penalty-taking expertise. "We recognised that he was able to get into positions and shoot from outside the box," says Jansen.
"That is when a lot of interest came because they could see he was so diverse in his way of playing. When the next season started and he was negotiating with Atalanta, he was talking about playing an offensive position in midfield. That is where he is playing now."
How Atalanta changed Koopmeiners
Gian Piero Gasperini expects more from his midfielders. His style of play encourages man-to-man marking and that places huge physical demands on those nominally in the centre of the pitch. Koopmeiners had to become a player who could do everything.
"The midfielders have to play one against one all over the pitch in the Atalanta system and that is something that suits him really well. The team shape and the playing philosophy was a perfect fit for him really because his stamina is unbelievable."
Koopmeiners is technically good, physically strong and can cover the ground. "You could see that when he played against Liverpool - especially the game in England. He was able to compete in a high-intensity game at that level." More than compete. He starred.
That he thrives in Atalanta's structure is an indication that a role that might have been interpreted as restricting has had the opposite effect. Koopmeiners, because of his power, is able to roll over his opposite number in midfield, overwhelming opponents.
"I spoke to him about this. The strategy that they use there means he has a lot of freedom. He can go deep and collect balls, go up or go wide, go over his opponent and get into the box of the opposing team. He has added goals again at a higher level."
After scoring only four in his first season at Atalanta, his second brought 10 before those 15 goals in all competitions last time out. Now fluent in Italian, there is an expectation that Juventus will be his next step but there is interest from England as well.
Made for the Premier League? Arne Slot, the new Liverpool manager, was another of his coaches at AZ and is an admirer. "There is no doubt whatsoever that if he were to go the Premier League, he would be massive over there," says Jansen.
Key man for Koeman at Euro 2024?
Before that, Koopmeiners hopes to be massive in Germany this summer. Georginio Wijnaldum has been named in the Netherlands squad because Ronald Koeman is concerned about a lack of box-to-box midfield options. But Koopmeiners is surely first choice.
"He has earned his place in the national team. He is in good shape at the moment so I am hoping that he is going to get a lot of playing time," says Jansen. The issues for the Netherlands are likely to be ahead of him where they appear to lack a forward in form.
"The big question will be what happens up front with the attackers because you can have a good defence, you can have a very good defence, but in order to win games you have to score goals as well. The attackers did not have great seasons but they have talent."
If Koeman needs a goal, it may need to come from midfield where there is an obvious candidate to supply it - and a whole lot more. "Hopefully, they can get everything together and it will fall into place." If so, expect Teun Koopmeiners to be at the heart of it.