Moroccan midfielder Ismaël Saibari has just had the season of his life. The 25-year-old PSV Eindhoven playmaker has won the Eredivisie Golden Boot for the best player in the Dutch league. The yearly ranking is organised by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf together with the KNVB and the VVCS.
Speaking to VoetbalPrimeur, he explains what this award means to him and particularly praises his teammates.
“You can only win an individual award as part of a group,” Saibari begins. The attacking midfielder scored fifteen goals and provided eight assists this season. “I did pretty well. I think we did very well together as a team, and I did as an individual too. I am very happy.”
The jury included 35 former Netherlands internationals from different generations. Some of them played in the World Cup finals of 1974, 1978 and 2010, while others were part of the country’s Euro 1988 winning team.
Dutch football greats Ruud Gullit, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart, Roy Makaay and Bert van Marwijk were among those who picked Saibari as the best player of the season.
He received first-place votes from 27 of the 35 jurors. He finished ahead of Mika Godts of Ajax and teammate Joey Veerman. The prize has been awarded for more than 40 years.
Saibari had a standout season. He scored 19 goals and provided nine assists in all competitions. In the league alone, he delivered 15 goals and eight assists.
