A headstrong striker, who can hold a ball and gives his all for the team. It sounds like a description of Luuk de Jong, but it is about the nineteen-year-old Jesper Uneken. At Young PSV, he shows weekly that the classic striker still has a place in modern football.
The national champion of the O18 competition, Jesper Uneken joined Young PSV this season, where his first goal was accompanied by his first hat-trick. "The first match ball is already at home," laughs the young striker, who was recently on the bench with the main squad during the away game against Ajax. "That was very special and even though I didn't play, it's one of the best games of my career. The moment you go out for the warm-up and are whistled at by thousands is wonderful. Secretly I can only enjoy that."
PSV for as long as he can remember
The build-up to his first game with the A-selection started thirteen years ago. Nowadays, PSV Academy starts with the O10, but it was very different in Jesper's time. "I was only playing at an amateur club for four months when I was scouted. Nowadays kids don't enter until they're ten, but back then I started at seven. So I can hardly remember anything from my time before PSV."
'We have the same profile: head strong, ball steady and very dangerous in the sixteen.'
Type Luuk de Jong
At the Academy, the comparison to Luuk de Jong was quickly made. "From the age of thirteen I've been playing in the striker and I've been hearing it pass by ever since. It's not very surprising either, because if you put us side by side there are plenty of similarities. We have the same profile: strong head, steady on the ball and very dangerous in the sixteen. We also share the same perception. Sure, he is a lot further along. I would absolutely sign for a career like Luuk's." Yet Jesper can also name some differences. "I am a little more agile on the ball, but he is much better with using his body, which is something I still want to grow in by the way; the physical aspect."
Double digits
Coincidentally, Jesper is the son of former Psv U21 coach Peter Uneken. The striker can therefore always turn to him for good advice. "He watches my matches and always feedback the points for improvement afterwards. He also says what went well and if I don't feel like it for a while, that's fine too. He is not pushy at all," Jesper says.
'The moment you go out for the warm-up and are whistled at by thousands is wonderful. Secretly I can only enjoy that.'
Every now and then Jesper trains with the A-selection, where he looks closely at the strikers on duty. "The perfect touches of Luuk de Jong or the goal-orientation of Ricardo Pepi. I take it all with me to the games in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, where I want to record double digits at the end of the season."
