Kees Smit is one of the most dazzling young talents in Europe, and several of the world's best clubs are already keeping close tabs on him. Clubs that need less and less evidence before going all in on a player they consider generational.
That is certainly the case with AZ's academy graduate Smit. He has barely played 38 matches in the Eredivisie and a similar number in the Dutch second division with the club.
Nevertheless, at youth level he was the best player in a historic AZ Alkmaar side that won the Youth League in 2022/23. He also finished as top scorer and best player at last summer's Under-19 European Championship. His form has not suffered since making the jump to top-flight professional football. If anything, quite the opposite.
Now that we have some context on Smit and his brief career so far, you're probably wondering what position he plays, how he plays, and why the world's best clubs want him.
Kees Smit is a midfielder who's taller than he looks, has a very powerful upper body and rather short legs. That combination gives him a great deal of engine to cover different areas of the pitch.
While he is very mobile, we profile Smit as a second phase midfielder. So then, as of right now he would be more closely linked to the third phase than to the first. This means, when his team has possession, Smit has a bigger influence on what happens for his team in the opponents' half rather tahn in his own.
49% of his completed passes originate from the central band of the pitch. His role is therefore more that of an accelerator or progressor —a player who drives the ball into the opponent's half like a basketball point guard — than that of than that of an organiser of play or deep-lying playmaker.
Perhaps at some point in his career he may successfully take on one of those roles, but we will discuss his future development later.
Let's return to his point guard's role of moving the ball forward, which he fulfils with excellence for two reasons: technical and willingness. Starting with the latter, which comes even before technique: Smit shows a repeated willingness to play the vertical/positive pass.
61.6% of his passes are received in the opposition's half and 33.9% go forward. Both figures are above the Eredivisie average for midfielders.
Intent is important, but Smit's is underpinned to a large extent by excellent technique. His technical quality helps him resist pressure and burst away when driving with the ball. It also allows him to disguise his passes and be incisive with his deliveries.
In terms of carrying the ball, only 4 central midfielders in the Eredivisie average more ball progressions through carries per game (3.72). In terms of progressing through passes he ranks above 75% of his counterparts in the Netherlands.
In the map below we can see that a considerable number of his progressive passes — 50 out of 166, or 30.1% — are directed towards dangerous areas: the vicinity of the penalty box edge or the penalty area itself.
We mentioned his ball progressiones as a standout quality, but those would carry less value if they were not closely tied to beating opponents. With Arrigo, Driblab's intelligent data tool that combines eventing and tracking, we can go a step further to confirm that his ball progression numbers are no fluke. They back up the fact that Smit is one of the best players in the Eredivisie at eliminating opponents.
He ranks first among non-defenders in the Eredivisie for total number of passes bypassing opponents (127). A figure that sits close to the 166 progressive passes completed this season. These are two aspects that go hand in hand as we mentioned.
He also ranks first among non-defenders for total number of carries bypassing opponents (27). T
here are central midfielders who do not need this carriying and passing duality, but when a 19-year-old is already posting numbers like these in both categories… the potential is frightening.
The best part of all is that this duality is complemented by a very intelligent off-the-ball game. In his aim to move the ball forward, AZ can rely on his carries, his passes, and his deliberate and unselfish off-ball movements.
Taken together, Smit possesses a progression toolkit — a basketball point guard toolkit — that covers every kind of solution. It is built on frequency and willingness to take on actions, combined with the strength and ground he covers when carrying, the verticality and bite in his passing, and his selflessness off the ball.
For entertainment purposes, I should probably avoid talking about the physical side of football like this. But here we are. All of you reading this should bear in mind that elite-level football today demands a never-seen-before physical capacity and ability to repeat high-intensity efforts. So we need to check where 19-year-old Kees Smit stands, given that his body is still developing.
Let's take a look.
Oh, surprise…
We know that the Eredivisie is a league known for its high tempo and end-to-end play. Frequently criticised for its weak defences, it is nonetheless a good place to look for high-performance physical profiles.
Kees Smit sits in the quadrant that groups players who cover more distance than average both at High-Speed Running pace and at sprint speed. On top of that, 7% of his average distance per match is covered at High-Speed Running pace. That is a figure only the top 12% of central midfielders across the five major leagues surpass.
From a physical standpoint, he looks perfectly equipped to compete at the highest level. At least from the surface.
We know that he is a second phase player whose main role is to help his team progress up the pitch. But the area where Smit has the greatest influence is on the edge of the final third.
Smit ranks seventh in the Eredivisie for passes completed per game from inside the final third. Also, just twelve players receive more passes in that same zone.
The Dutch handles those situations very well because he is highly mobile in finding space, as we have seen. He also has the technique and the resources to operate in tight areas.
With Smit, one question that lingers is whether he will develop a greater capacity for the final pass. He is not an especially refined player in those situations. He is more of a touch-and-go, lean-on-the-vertical type. His numbers in actions directly related to the final pass (xA and chances created in open play) are average.
What is clear is that he has a presence in that zone. Only 14 midfielders average more touches in the opposition box than Smit. His per game numbers in shot-ending sequences involvement and shots taken are both high.
Right now he profiles more as a late runner or box crasher with the ability to move his team in the final third than as a high-end creator.
Let's see what the future holds for Kees Smit but he's just 19. His body is still developing, his creative toolkit is still forming, and he is already posting elite numbers in a competitive European league.
The future is an open question but the foundations are exceptional. Keep an eye on him.
