Van Bommel’s son shines in his first games at AZ. But he doesn’t look anything like his father.
Dmitry Demkov August 24, 2023, 18:00 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Will Rubén repeat Mark’s stellar path?
Mark van Bommel has played for teams like Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Milan, and now coaches Antwerp. His children chose soccer like his father. Thomas van Bommel is still working at the Belgian second division club, but Ruben’s career looks more promising: after a great season, the boy left for promotion to AZ and has already lit up.
Ruben van Bommel (left) with his father
Photo: Joris Verwijst/Getty Images
Ruben van Bommel is an atypical player
Rubén is 19 years old, he plays on the left side, right-handed. Height: 186 cm It seems like an exception to the rule: usually such tall players, if they act in attack, only in the center, and they feel comfortable on the flank.
Rubén is at the top of the field waiting for the signings of the partners. After receiving the ball, he quickly approaches the edge and tries to penetrate the box. He reads the game well and can support the attack with connections for back pain. He pressures opponents near his box, but he doesn’t like to go back on defense. Former Maastricht player Rob Delahay says the boy needs to improve on this component: “I see that Rubén avoids going back on defense. In the second division this is not so noticeable, but in the Eredivision you will have to solve it.
Ruben van Bommel
Photo: Nesimages/Getty Images
Start of career, transition to the elite division.
Ruben van Bommel’s career began at PSV Eindhoven. The player spent seven years there and left in 2020 for the Maastricht academy. This decision was also influenced by the dismissal of his father from the position of head coach of the main team.
Rubén van Bommel on his departure from PSV
A-Z player
“The dismissal of the father influenced. People started looking at me differently, although maybe it was more in my head. After that season I decided to leave.”
Rubén spent two years in the lower categories, and before starting the previous season he reached first grade. At first, the winger came on as a substitute, but towards the middle of the game year he became the main player. Maastricht’s confidence was justified: van Bommel scored 15+6 in 31 games and led the club to the Second Division playoffs. Van Bommel was named the tournament’s best young player.
After such a performance by Ruben, a fight broke out between the Eredivisie clubs. The press wrote that half of the representatives of the first division were interested in him. As a result, the choice fell on AZ. The winger explained the decision as follows: “This is a very professional club, they trust young people here. AZ has a modern training base and a good coach.”
Maastricht received a transfer payment (but according to Transfermarkt, it is not known how much), although van Bommel spent most of the 2022/2023 season without a contract: “I will not leave for free, I want to let the club take advantage of me.”
Ruben van Bommel in Maastricht
Photo: Rene Nijhuis/Getty Images
In the new club, Ruben started strongly: in the first match of the Dutch Championship he scored 1 + 1, and then scored his first goal in the Conference League (already in the second match). With this performance, the midfielder got the first entry in the extended list of the Dutch under-21 team for the qualifying matches of the youth Euro Cup.
Rubén admits that without comparisons with his father, in any way: “I look a bit like him in character. Sometimes comparisons help, but sometimes they hurt: someone can tell me I’m not that good. But he doesn’t care: “Marc van Bommel was Mark van Bommel and I am me.”
The boy writes his own story.
