Thijs Dallinga – From Emmen U19 to Serie A
Back in 2017, I created a player profile on Thijs Dallinga, who was playing for FC Emmen U19 at the time. After watching several of his games live, he stood out to me as a real striker — not flashy, but effective. A player who knew where to be, how to finish, and worked hard for his team.
👉 Click here to view the original 2017 scouting report (PDF)
What I noticed at the time
Thijs had the instinct of a natural goal scorer. He was often in the right place at the right moment and finished calmly. That season, he scored 12 goals in 15 U19 matches, and the year before he had 20 goals in 31 games.
Some standout moments from that period:
- 2 goals vs. Feyenoord U19
- 2 goals in a cup match vs. Ajax U19
- Hat-trick in a crucial U17 promotion playoff
Player Profile Summary (from 2017)
- A real target man, calm finisher, fast in his decision-making
- Works hard, especially when pressing defenders
- Quite fast for his height, dangerous on the counter
- Functional technique, quick passing, solid first touch
- Effective with fake shots and body feints, no flashy skills needed
- Needed to improve physical strength, balance in duels, and stamina
- Sprinting over long distances was a strong point
- Good vision, but prefers to go for goal himself
Back then, he said he wanted to become a striker like Zlatan Ibrahimović — an athletic and dominant attacker. In my report, I compared him more realistically to Klaas-Jan Huntelaar: not a big youth prodigy, but a hard worker who scored consistently in the lower leagues and grew into a top striker.
His Career Progression Since Then
After that 2017 report, Thijs made step-by-step progress, and each move was a clear upgrade.
FC Emmen → FC Groningen (2018)
- Made Eredivisie appearances with Groningen’s first team
- Gained experience at the highest Dutch level
Groningen → Excelsior (2021)
- Breakout season: 32 goals in 37 Eerste Divisie matches
- Became top scorer and helped Excelsior get promoted to Eredivisie
Excelsior → Toulouse FC (2022)
- Transferred for €2.5 million
- Scored 37 goals in 86 matches for Toulouse
- Won the Coupe de France (2023) and scored 2 goals in the final
- Top scorer of that cup tournament
- Made his debut for the Dutch national team in 2023
Toulouse → Bologna (2024)
- Signed by Serie A side Bologna (reported fee: €12–18 million)
- Serie A debut in August 2024
- First goal in December, first Champions League goal in January 2025
- Also scored a brace in the Coppa Italia semi-final
Why I’m Sharing This
This is a great example of how a player profile can help you spot potential early and track progress over time. Not every player shines in youth academies. Thijs wasn’t seen as a wonderkid, but with hard work and smart moves, he became an international striker.
It’s also a reminder:
- Scouting is not about flashy clips — it’s about spotting patterns, habits, and mentality
- A player like Thijs might not go viral, but he wins games and trophies
👉 Click here to read the full 2017 profile (PDF)
Want to Start Scouting Yourself?
If you’re working on player profiles yourself or want to learn how to do it:
📩 Reach out if you want:
- Feedback on your reports
- Help building your own scouting portfolio
- To contribute a guest blog or share a case study like this one
Without scouts, players like Dallinga might never get discovered.
Let’s keep bringing talent to the spotlight — from youth fields to the big stage.
Freelance Football Scout 