Archive May 2, 2025

After a career that included visits to the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and now England, Justin Kluivert says he feels at home at Bournemouth.

The Dutch forward would be excited to travel with the Cherries in Europe next season, even though he is enjoying laying down some roots after setting out for the continent.

In 2025-26, 10 Premier League clubs could be admitted to European competitions.

With only four games left, Bournemouth remain in the hunt despite Andoni Iraola’s side remaining 10th overall, one point behind eighth-placed Fulham.

Kluivert, who turns 26 on Monday, has played and scored in each of his six international matches. a feat he considers to be unique.

In an interview that will be broadcast on BBC One on Saturday at 12:00 BST, the son of Dutch legend Patrick Kluivert says, “I need to be in the book of Guinness World Records.”

“I believe that I am the first player to top six games, assuming Holland is the sixth.”

Only the top five leagues, including Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and England, have scored in the country’s top five, with Montenegro’s Stevan Jovetic and Romania’s Florin Raducioiu.

Kluivert has scored goals for Roma, RB Leipzig (loan), Nice (loan), and Valencia (loan) since making his Ajax debut at the age of 17).

In June 2023, the forward left Roma for Bournemouth in a £9.6 million deal.

The Cherries have since established a club record for back-to-back seasons of Premier League points, are vying for a place in Europe, and have just opened a cutting-edge £32m training facility where this interview is taking place.

We talk about it every day, according to Kluivert, about Bournemouth’s first-ever European appearance.

Kluivert has played a significant role in Iraola’s plans this year, making 30 Premier League appearances and recording 2, 114 minutes of total playing time.

As he attempts to escape the shadow of his famous father, he has 12 Premier League goals, six of which are hat-tricks.

He recalls his father’s glittering career, which included winning the Champions League with Ajax in 1994-1995, three Dutch League titles with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, and La Liga victories with Barcelona in 1998-1999. “I always saw it as a motivation,” he says.

“It made me hungry to show why I’m good, not just because I wore the name Kluivert on my shirt.

People frequently questioned whether or not he was good because of his father. ‘.

“Pressure produces diamonds, and that is how you shine.”

And he has shine.

Kluivert made history in November when he scored three penalties in the same game for Bournemouth against Wolves, marking the first time this happened in the Premier League era.

In a 4-1 victory over one of his father’s former clubs, he followed that up two months later with a second hat-trick.

Kluivert renamed five different nations in five years between 2018 and 2023.

He continues, “I’ve always been traveling and borrowing.” You never know what is going on, so I wouldn’t suggest that to anyone. Being stable is beautiful.

Kluivert spent most of his time outside of Italy, despite the fact that he was a Roma player between 2018 and 2023.

Before moving to France to spend a season on loan with Nice, he scored for RB Leipzig against Manchester United in a Champions League game in 2020-21.

Then it traveled to Spain and made a temporary move to Valencia for the 2022-23 La Liga campaign. Iraola managed Rayo Vallecano at the time, but Kuvert converted and scored a penalty for the match.

Iraola made Kluivert his first signing at the Vitality Stadium two months later, and Bournemouth appointed him.

Because of how energetic his Rayo Vallecano team is now, I knew he was a great coach, Kluivert says.

He spends his entire life thinking about football. He will arrive two hours early to start the pitch out during training.

The manager and I are the ideal partners. He saw that I could play as an attacking midfielder even though I started as a left winger. That made a difference.

Kluivert wants to establish some roots in England after moving from one country to another.

For the first time in years, he recently became a father.

They were in League Two fifteen years ago. They have defeated, among others, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham this season.

Bill Foley, the owner of Bournemouth and billionaire, discussed the Cherries’ chances of joining Europe in five years in December 2023.

Yet his team’s success this month could help them achieve that goal.

Their final four games are against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Aston Villa, and Arsenal (away).

Bill Foley had those goals when I first arrived, Foley said. I came here because of this, says Kluivert.

“Those visions have always been mine. I’m very excited to be a part of Bournemouth’s future because it has a lot of potential.

“This season, we can definitely achieve Europe.” Not, why?

There may be a scenario where Blues supporters will also be saying goodbye to a striker who has almost a decade of loyal service at Goodison Park, among the numerous “last ever” occasions that are evoking mixed emotions among the Everton fanbase.

The future of Dominic Calvert-Lewin may have fallen off the radar because there has been so much going on at Everton once more this campaign.

Everton has signed the 28-year-old for £1.5 million from Sheffield United and has since scored 57 Premier League goals in 235 appearances.

In all competitions, he made the England squad that reached the Euros final that summer, scoring 21 goals in 39 games during the campaign of 2020-21.

However, Calvert-Lewin has struggled to replicate those impressive numbers since that campaign due to injuries and form issues. His 2021 cap was his final for England.

He’s also been featured on the front covers of fashion magazines and in private interviews about his mental health.

Given the positive impact of manager David Moyes’ appointment in January and his own hamstring injury at Brighton the same month, Calvert-Lewin describes a season with just three goals in only 22 Premier League games as “mixed.”

The Everton number nine hasn’t played since and is working his way back to fitness, which means a complete recovery from selection and training.

Before this injury, he says, “I was in good shape for 18 months playing games and maintaining consistency of play.”

“Physically, I experience the best sensation I’ve ever had.” I have put in the effort to get myself in the best possible condition and right as I always do.

At the end of the current season, Everton will relocate to their new Bramley-Moore Dock, which serves as an additional motivation for Calvert-Lewin.

“That was always the driving force behind my decision to stay out for a while,” she said. Says Calvert-Lewin. “I want to get back to Goodison for at least that final game.”

There are so many positive memories that I’ve had since growing up, and they’ve been the most important.

He claims that his perspective has been altered by his recent fatherly arrival and that past setbacks have “wisdom and character” developed.

“I’ve had some challenging experiences and injuries with that. I’m older, more mature, and a father now, which has given me a sense of purpose,” says Calvert-Lewin.

The striker, who has appeared on magazine covers and participated in photo shoots for GQ Magazine, is also known for his interest in fashion, but he admits that those days may have passed.

Because I now have a young daughter and am a family man, my life has greatly changed. Says Calvert-Lewin. It has given me different viewpoints.

“My goal is to be the best dad I can be and to be the best player I can be.”

It’s like anything, you grow and evolve, and it was appealing to me back then to show that.

Everyone has interests beyond what they do on a daily basis, according to the saying.

Everton supporters will be interested to find out if the striker will be a part of their squad for the upcoming campaign.

One of the few Everton players whose future is being considered is Calvert-Lewin, according to a report from BBC Sport, and an offer has been made appears to be on the table. When questioned about his circumstances, he replies that things are straightforward.

He claims, “As an Everton player, my goal is always to do my best for Everton, and I have a lot of respect for the football team.”

It has given me everything I have right now.

It’s like going through a mini-pre-season to get fit for these last four games, because my main concern is making sure I’m in the best shape.

There is a new stadium and a lot to like about, according to the new manager, who has come in.

Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that, exactly?

“The last three seasons have probably been the most difficult in Everton’s Premier League history, and I have been there leading the way through that. There was a lot of uncertainty for a long time, a little higher up.