Six Indonesian National Team Players Will Compete in the 2025-2026 Dutch League. Who Will Shine?

The Dutch League or Eredivisie for the 2025-2026 season is set to kick off its inaugural match on Friday (8/8/2025). The enthusiasm of the national football public for the Dutch League remains high, coinciding with the presence of five key players from the "Garuda" squad who will compete to showcase their best abilities for their respective teams.

They are Mees Hilgers (Twente), Calvin Verdonk (NEC Nijmegen), Dean James (Go Ahead Eagles), Eliano Reijnders (PEC Zwolle), Ivar Jenner (FC Utrecht), and Justin Hubner (Fortuna Sittard).

Of the six names, Ivar and Justin are new additions for the 2025-2026 season. Ivar has just been promoted from Jong Utrecht, while Justin returns to the Netherlands after spending five years in England playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers U-21.

Moreover, the quantity of Indonesian national team players in the highest tier of the Dutch competition has great potential to increase. This is because the flamboyant midfielder, Thom Haye, who is currently without a club, is predicted to continue his career in his homeland. Thom is being pursued by two Dutch league clubs, namely Fortuna Sittard and NAC Breda.

In addition, two attackers with Indonesian heritage who are potential candidates for naturalization, namely Miliano Jonathans and Mauro Ziljstra, have also been registered as part of the main squads of Feyenoord and the promoted team, Volendam, respectively.

Which players do you think will be able to prove their quality in the top-flight competition in the Netherlands?

The review begins with Mees. It's no surprise that the FC Twente defender remains the Indonesian player with the highest market value. According to Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old center-back is valued at Rp 113 billion.

The market value of Mees has indeed decreased compared to the end of last year, which reached its highest figure of Rp 174 billion. The reason for this is the recurring injuries that plagued Mees in the second half of last season, causing him to be sidelined for several periods.

Mees has been rumored to be leaving Twente. However, his name was included in the lineup for the final friendly match of Twente against Udinese on Sunday (3/8/2025). This was the first time Mees was listed in the Twente squad during the preseason ahead of the 2025-2026 competition campaign.

With one year remaining on the contract, which will expire on June 30, 2026, Twente does not want to let Mees go for free next summer. However, offers from clubs outside the Netherlands have yet to convince Twente, as well as Mees.

In the Twente game scheme under Paul van der Kraan, Mees has the opportunity to gain a significant amount of playing time similar to last season. In the 2024-2025 Dutch League, Mees appeared in 25 matches, 23 of which he started as a key player. He recorded an average of 75 minutes of play per game.

The presence of Mees will provide many options for central defensive pairings for Van der Kraan. This is because the stock of central defenders at Twente is very limited. Alec van Hoorenbeeck and Max Bruns are the main competitors for Mees to become a key pillar in the heart of Twente's defense.

Mees has the capacity to play within the Twente scheme. An accuracy record of 94 percent for passes in his own defensive zone and approximately 79 percent for accurate passes in the opponent's zone serves as a foundation for Mees to become a key choice for Van der Kraan.

In addition, five out of 11 goalless matches for Twente last season occurred while Mees was playing. At a relatively young age, Mees is required to maximize his great potential with Twente in the 2025-2026 season. With impressive performance, he could attract the interest of clubs in the top three European leagues to recruit him for the 2026-2027 competition.

Calvin was the highest-rated Indonesian player in the Dutch League last season. Sofascore, for example, gave Calvin a 7.20 rating for his performances for NEC Nijmegen during the 2024-2025 Dutch League season.

This season, a similar opportunity may still arise. Calvin has reached the age of 28, which is considered the prime time for a footballer.

This condition is reinforced by his exceptionally fit physical state. He only missed one match in the Dutch League last season. An average of 86 minutes of play per game marks Calvin's best record in his professional career.

He also did not make a single mistake that resulted in a goal for the opponent. Calvin collected nine clean sheets during his appearances representing NEC last season.

A record of 3.8 clearances per game and 5.3 ball recoveries per match underscores Calvin's important role in NEC's defensive zone. However, Calvin should improve the accuracy of his crosses, which stands at only 26 percent.

A record of one goal and one assist also needs to be raised by Calvin to help NEC achieve a better ranking this season.

Dean's influence on Go Ahead Eagles was already felt in the Johan Cruijff Schaal match against PSV Eindhoven last weekend. In the opening match of the 2025-2026 season, Dean provided an assist for the opening goal of GA Eagles. Unfortunately, his team ultimately fell 1-2 to the defending champions of the Dutch League.

"Let us unite, refocus, and react on Friday (the first game of the Dutch League)," wrote Dean in the caption of his personal Instagram account, which posted photos of his actions against PSV at the Philips Arena, Eindhoven, Netherlands.

The record of two goals and two assists in the 2024-2025 season demonstrates that Dean is a wing-back with a strong attacking character. He is also skilled at creating opportunities, with a total of 10 chances.

One deficiency that Dean needs to address is strengthening the aspect of resilience. Only managing to regain ball possession three times per match and making two clearances per game serves as evidence that Dean must enhance his ability to anticipate the opponent's attacks.

In addition, he is also expected to improve the accuracy of passes in the opponent's defensive zone, which is currently only 67 percent. If this deficiency can be addressed during the season, Dean will have the opportunity to defend the major teams in the Netherlands.

At just 24 years old, Eliano has ample time to develop and enhance his skills. His asset is his ability to occupy multiple positions. In the last season, he was predominantly played as a right wing-back.

Do not forget that the younger brother of Manchester City midfielder, Tijjani Reijnders, is also skilled at playing in more offensive positions, such as winger and attacking midfielder.

New Zwolle coach Henry van der Vegt has also tried Eliano playing as a central midfielder in two friendly matches against Kaizer Chiefs and Rayo Vallecano.

The ability to occupy multiple positions has opened up opportunities for Eliano to record more playing minutes compared to last season. In the 2024-2025 season, he only started 11 times as a main player for Zwolle. His total playing time was merely 58 minutes per game.

The availability to play in several positions is a testament to Eliano's love for Zwolle. "I am ambitious to perform at my best in every opportunity to play in order to help the team. My ambition is also to entertain the supporters who always support us," said Eliano as reported on the club's website.

There is no other hope for Ivar but to be patient while waiting for his moment to make his debut in the Dutch League with Utrecht. Injuries have hindered Ivar's adaptation process with the Utrecht first team during this preseason.

The experience from the 2021-2022 season to the 2023-2024 season representing Jong Utrecht in the Eerste Divisie, or the second tier of Dutch competition, has been sufficient for Ivar to elevate his level of play.

Ivar, who is 21 years old, is set to face open competition with his teammates. Several midfielders from Utrecht who are of the same age as him include Gjivai Zechiel (21 years), Alonzo Engwanda (22), Zidane Iqbal (22), Can Bozdogan (24), and Rafik Al Arguioui (20).

If Ivar receives limited playing time at Utrecht in the first half of the 2025-2026 season, he may consider seeking opportunities at another club that guarantees him regular appearances.

Although he is a newcomer in the Dutch League, Justin has a great opportunity to become a key player in the defense of Fortuna Sittard. This is evident from the chance he had to play from the start in the friendly match against Bayer Leverkusen on August 2.

Playing for mid-table Fortuna provides Justin with an opportunity to showcase the skills he's learned over five seasons in England. Furthermore, Justin is Fortuna's most experienced international player, having earned 18 caps for the Indonesian national team.

"I have to prove my worth in the Netherlands and in Europe. I want to be known as a great player here," Justin told ESPN NL.

Meanwhile, among the two players of Indonesian descent, Miliano and Mauro, Miliano's performance deserves attention. His tally of 11 goals with Jong Utrecht last season helped him make eight appearances for the senior Utrecht team in the Dutch League.

Miliano has also experienced playing as a main player in the Europa League qualifying match against Sheriff Tiraspol, a team from Moldova, on August 1. It feels like it is only a matter of time before Miliano scores his debut goal in the Dutch League.

On the other hand, Mauro still has to work hard to break into the main squad of Volendam. He was indeed part of the Volendam squad that helped the team promote from the Eerste Divisie to the Eredivisie, but he only played six times.