LUTSHAREL GEERTRUIDA: WHO ARE YOU?

Sunderland have confirmed the Deadline Day acquisition of Netherlands international Lutsharel Geertruida. The right back joins on a season-long loan deal for a fee of £2.5 million with an option to buy for £18 million. Here’s a summary of the 25-year-old’s career so far:

Born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 2000 he spent time in the Sparta Rotterdam academy before joining Feyenoord in 2012. His senior debut came in the KNVB Cup second round off the bench against AVV Swift in October 2017, which ended up being enough to earn him a medal when his team went on to win the competition. His Eredivisie debut occurred in December 2018 and, also in the 2018/19 season, he featured in two Europa League qualifying matches. He began to feature more prominently in 19/20, making 17 league appearances, three in the cup, two in ECL qualifiers and four in the competition proper.

The following season was his breakout year, as he made 37 appearances in all competitions (again with some coming in the Europa League), scoring eight goals and assisting twice along the way. Notable moments included, scoring his career first goal in a 4-2 win over ADO Den Haag, finding the back of the net in a Europa League group game win versus CSKA Moscow and twice being named the Eredivisie Talent of the Month (in September 2020 and January 2021, also being named in the Eredivisie Team of the Month in those same months).

He made 41 appearances the next season. Feyenoord lost in the final of the Conference League but he played a key role in getting them there. The defender assisted a last minute equaliser away to Slavia Prague in the group stage, scored in the last 16 against Partizan and contributed to a clean sheet away to Marseille in the second leg of the semi final. All of this helped him to be named in the Conference League Team of the Season. In the league he also netted a brace in a 3-1 win versus Fortuna Sittard.

2022/23 brought a league title for his club and his first senior caps for the Netherlands. Geertruida captained De club ann de Maas for one game, against AZ Alkmaar, which they won, and he scored a late winner away to Ajax, making 30 league appearances total on their way to the first place finish. Lutsharel also played 90 minutes in games against Lazio and AS Roma in the Europa League in which clean sheets were kept. In February, March and May of 2023, he was given a spot in the Dutch top flight’s Team of the Month. His debut for his country came against France in a European Championship qualifier during this season and he was also selected in their squad for the 2023 Nations League finals.

Geertruida captained his side again on numerous occasions as they sought to defend their title, and also in the Champions League, cup and Johan Cruyff Shield (which they lost). Although they weren’t ultimately successful in winning back-to-back titles, they did win the cup, beating NEC Nijmegen in the final 1-0 (Robin Roefs was in goal for their opponents). Our new signing was rather prolific in this season too, scoring nine across the season and, for good measure, was part of the league Team of the Month on five occasions. Before his departure at the start of 24/25, he helped them win the Johan Cruyff Shield, defeating PSV Eindhoven on penalties.

In August 2024, he moved to Germany with RB Leipzig for a fee of around €20 million. He made 35 appearances in his debut campaign, including in the Champions League. Those would be his only games for the club prior to moving to Wearside.

On the international stage, he has 17 caps for the Netherlands, featuring for them at the 2023 and 2025 Nations League finals and the 2024 Euros. It was very nearly quite a different international career for him though, as he was called up to the Curuçao national team in 2021 but didn’t play.

Also able to operate as a centre back, he looks to be another solid addition with lots of experience playing against top level opposition.