Justin Kluivert (born 5 May 1999)[2][3] is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for A.S. Roma and the Dutch national team. He primarily features as a left winger.[4][5]
Club career
Ajax
Born in Amsterdam, Kluivert came through the AFC Ajax youth program[6] and had his first professional contract with Ajax.[7] He made his Eerste Divisie debut with Jong Ajax on 16 September 2016 in a game against MVV, replacing Vince Gino Dekker in the 67th minute, in a 1–0 away loss.[8] He also played in the 2016–17 UEFA Youth League, in which he scored in a 2–0 group stage win at PAOK on 2 November.[9]
Kluivert made his first team debut in the Eredivisie on 15 January 2017 in a 1–3 away win against PEC Zwolle, when he replaced Amin Younes in the 39th minute.[10] He scored his first Eredivisie goal on 19 March in an away match against SBV Excelsior, exactly 10 years and 1 day after his father's last career goal. The match ended in a 1–1 draw.[11] He made six appearances in the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, and was an unused substitute in the final, a 2–0 loss to Manchester United in Stockholm.[12]
On 26 November 2017, Kluivert opened his account for the season with a hat-trick in a 5–1 home win over Roda JC; his father never scored a hat-trick in the Dutch league.[13]
Roma
On 12 June 2018, Kluivert moved to Italian club A.S. Roma, following a telephone call made by Roma legend Francesco Totti to his father, for €18.75 million.[14][15] He chose the number 34 shirt number at Roma as a support for his good friend and former teammate Abdelhak Nouri who wore it at Ajax; Nouri suffered a career-ending cardiac arrhythmia attack in 2017.[16]
Kluivert became the youngest Roma player to score in the UEFA Champions League after scoring the fourth goal in 5-0 home victory against Viktoria Plzeň on 3 October 2018.[17] It was his first goal for the Giallorossi and he dedicated it to Nouri.[18] On 16 December, he scored for the first time in Serie A in a 3–2 home win over Genoa.[19]
International career
At the 2016 Under 17 Euros held in Azerbaijan, Kluivert played throughout the tournament in which the Netherlands reached the semi finals.[20][21][22][23]
Kluivert earned his first full international call up in Ronald Koeman’s first Dutch national football team squad in March 2018 for the friendlies against the England and Portugal.[24] He made his senior debut on 26 March, in a 3–0 win over the reigning European champions Portugal, at the Stade de Genève, replacing Memphis Depay for the final 12 minutes of the match.[25]
Personal life
Justin Kluivert is the son of former Dutch international football player Patrick Kluivert[26] and grandson of former Surinamese football player Kenneth Kluivert.[27] He is also of Curaçaoan descent through his paternal grandmother.[28]
