Lutsharel Geertruida spreads wings to RB Leipzig

'Everyone knows I'm a guy who prefers to speak with his feet,' says Geertruida. 'And especially at the moment it's not easy to find the right words. But for me it is very important to say out loud how hard I find it to leave Feyenoord behind me. The club I dreamed of as a little boy. Where I grew up, became an adult and experienced fantastic moments. What does help is the knowledge that Feyenoord is left with a nice amount of money from the transfer of a player the club trained itself.

There are so many things I will never forget. The journey through Europe in the Conference League, where we showed what Feyenoord really stands for. A season later the national championship, with an unforgettable ceremony on Coolsingel with all those supporters. I am very grateful for those memories. Feyenoord is deep in my heart, forever. So know: wherever I go, I will forever remain a Kind van Zuid.'

Rotterdam-born Geertruida grew up in the Peperklip in the Feijenoord district, a stone's throw from De Kuip. As a boy he dreamed of a successful career in the red and white of his favorite club, and via Overmaas, Spartaan'20 and the youth training of Sparta Rotterdam, he actually joined Feyenoord as a young soccer talent in the summer of 2012.

'Lutsha' steadily grew into one of the best players of his generation after his arrival at Varkenoord. After his debut in October 2017, in the cup match against the amateurs of A.V.V. Swift, he gradually developed into an indispensable base player in the selection of Feyenoord 1. A right back who is more than just a defender, who likes to get on the ball and also dares to show himself offensively, he quickly won the hearts of The Legion with his decisive play as well as his memorable goals.

One memorable example was his subtle assist on Cyriel Dessers in the away match against Slavia Prague, which took Feyenoord into the knockout phase of the UEFA Europa Conference League. Or his header goal in the lion's den, with which the youngster from Rotterdam-Zuid scored the 2-3 and thus managed to field arch-rival Ajax in the ArenA giving an advance on the national title won in 2023.

It not only earned him much praise from the outside world, but also a newfound status as an international with the big Oranje and consequently an eternal entry in the tunnel of De Kuip - the stadium he had hoped to shine in as a child. In total, the 24-year-old Geertruida played 202 games in the Feyenoord shirt, in which he accounted for 24 goals and 11 assists as a defender. He also won five prizes with Feyenoord: once the national title, twice the TOTO KNVB Cup and twice the Johan Cruijff Schaal.

Feyenoord wishes child of the club Geertruida every success at RB Leipzig.