Newspaper says that ‘Ajax manufactured the new De Bruyne’; know who he is

Kristian Hlynsson It’s a blessing for the fans of the Ajaxwhich is in fifth position in the Dutch Championshipwith a score far from a classification even for the Conference League (eight points). The Icelandic talent is compared to Kevin De Bruyne for such technical quality.

The Icelander is compared to De Bruyne by the Spanish newspaper “As”, not just because of his physical appearance. The vehicle features the ex-player’s speech Ronald de Boer on “Voetbal International” to explain what is similar between Hlynsson and the Manchester City star.

— It’s always dangerous to compare players and I’m not saying he can reach your level, but he looks like De Bruyne. The Belgian has a great shot and passes well, just like Hlynsson.

In addition to De Bruyne, De Boer also highlights a similarity between Hlynsson and Dennis Bergkamplegend of Arsenal.

— Kristian has what Bergkamp used to have. He wasn’t very good one-on-one, but his movements are so good that he eliminated his rivals like that.

But the Spanish newspaper highlights that Hlynsson needs to score more, work on his physique and improve his bad leg (his left).

— He has a perfect idea of ​​where to expect when he crosses into the area. He is also good at combining with his teammates. He knows where to position himself when, for example, Berghuis (right winger) moves or Brobbey (striker) leaves the area and he plays the 9. He has a nose for that — said coach Van’t Schip.

At the same time, the absence of Berghuis (injured since the beginning of February) allows Hlynsson to take command of Ajax’s right wing.

Who is Ajax’s “De Bruyne”

Hlynsson is only 20 years old, but he looks like an experienced player. Although he was born in Denmark, his parents returned to northern Iceland shortly after the Ajax star was born. They moved to Hafnarfjordur, which is just 12.6 km from Reykjavik, the Icelandic capital.

At the age of 15, Kristian Hlynsson arrived at Ajax, where he lived with a host family in Abcoude, a small town located on the outskirts of Amsterdam, while his brother Ágúst moved with his mother to England to play for Norwich.

— I’m used to changing, so it wasn’t difficult for me to go to Ajax. I had to leave my family and build my own life. I fit well into Dutch society. I have my feet on the ground, I am calm and serene. But that’s how most Scandinavians are — Kristian Hlynsson told the club’s website in 2020.

Ajax discovered the “new De Bruyne” at a young athletes’ tournament in Enschede, when Hlynsson was playing for Breidablik. He was top scorer and voted best player of the tournament. Icelandic consultant Óttar Magnus Karlsson was the one who saw the jewel and took it to the Dutch giant.

— I think I have good intuition for positioning myself, I score easily and I have good technique. I watch De Bruyne and Ziyech a lot, I like creative players — said Hlynsson in the 2020 interview.

After just two months at Ajax, Hlynsson had to return to Iceland because of Covid-19. Upon his return, he missed stages in the club’s lower categories, even making his debut with the coach Erik Ten Hag in two Dutch Cup matches.

In three years of continuous growth, Hlynsson has not stopped attracting attention. Last season he was involved in 20 goals (11 goals and 9 assists) in 37 games for Ajax’s B team. In 80 appearances for Young Ajax, the “new De Bruyne” adapted well to the Amsterdam giant’s football.

— Kris is a very intelligent player. He moves freely between the lines. I used to play with him as an attacking midfielder, but sometimes also as an inside attacker. That’s how he made it into the starting lineup, which he joined on November 8 after four league appearances. Since then, he has participated in all of the team’s games. And last Sunday he reached the mark of ten goals for the season — said Heitinga, who coached Hlynsson for 58 games.

Hlynsson in the squad

A few years ago, Hlynsson fulfilled his dream of playing with his brother, playing six games with Iceland’s under-21s. The “new De Bruyne” made his debut for the main team in November 2023, after watching the FIFA dates of June, September and October from the bench.

— He is still too modest on the field to ask for the ball and resolve it. I think he could become a kind of Litmanen, a player who makes the team play better by thinking faster than others and doing simple things. This season may be introductory, but I trust him. I worked with this guy and he is fantastically talented. He has the potential to become a great player — described Ronald de Boer.

De Boerr ends his report on the “new De Bruyne” by highlighting the player’s “Scandinavian mentality”. He may not dribble much, but he moves, shoots well and has an amazing vision of the game.

— He already did this kind of thing very well and only got better. You realize that he sees the game, that he understands. He doesn’t run around unnecessarily like many kids his age do. See who is free and let the ball do its job.