Joël van den Berg received De Frederik on Saturday night. The 18-year-old midfielder made his debut for PSV 1 against FC Groningen (4-2) and received the tribute from the hands of Earnest Stewart after the game.
Joël van den Berg is having a season he’ll never forget. In July, the dynamic box-to-box midfielder was invited to training camp with PSV’s first team. Meanwhile, he continued to see playing time with the reserve team while participating in the entire preseason with PSV 1. He played one half in the first preseason match against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and was the only goal scorer in that game (1-0). He saw playing time against Elversberg and in the Lichtstadderby, where he showcased his skills.
Not surprisingly, his contract was broken open in April this year and extended until 2028. Van den Berg came over from the youth academy of Vitesse in 2023 and he immediately made an impression: he won the Otten Innovation Cup with PSV O19.
The Frederik
Joel is the first debutant this season to receive The Frederik. It is an award for Academy players who make their debut for the main squad. "It's very nice for Joël: he addressed the group in the dressing room and received a nice souvenir from the club," Peter Bosz told me.
The Frederik is an initiative of GoodHabitz.