Erwin van de Looi has recalled working with Aston Villa attacker Donyell Malen while Holland U21 coach.
Malen has hit his straps with Villa this season.
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“He was one of the most talented players of his age group, that’s for sure,” van de Looi told BirminghamLive.
“But he was also a winger, he was not a central striker, he was really a winger left or right side, most of the time also left side.
“When I got him in the Under-21s I put him as a striker, because I think he has really good skills to play in the centre of the pitch.
“I also have sometimes the feeling – and maybe sometimes I still do – playing on the side limited him a little bit in his possibilities, that he was not involved in the game really.
“But when he gets space because he’s not a real striker, a target man or something, he can drop down to the midfield.
“I didn’t see him a lot at Aston Villa because he’s mostly on the bench – but I saw him also in, Dortmund a lot of times.
“I think he’s really, really good because he’s fast, he’s really skillful and he can score a goal, so those are real good weapons for for an attacker.”
