Athletic and composed, with his hair in dreadlocks and scoring goals in a black and red striped shirt, Nathan Ake rekindles memories of a young Ruud Gullit from the golden years at AC Milan.
Holland Under 21 star Ake has impressed since breaking into Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth side and has capped strong defensive displays with two goals, including Sunday’s dramatic winner against Liverpool.
But as he emerged through the youth ranks at ADO Den Haag, his style drew comparisons to another Dutch master of the same vintage as 1987 European Footballer of the Year Gullit.
‘I compared him to Frank Rijkaard,’ said Michael Krul, who coached Ake for three years at the ADO academy.