ONE TO WATCH: Thijs Dallinga | OneFootball

Thijs Dallinga arrived in Ligue 1 Uber Eats having earned a reputation as a prolific lower-league goalscorer and is now starting to deliver at the top level with Toulouse FC. Ligue1.com tells you all you need to know about the Dutch poacher…

Back story:

A native of the northern Dutch city of Groningen, where he was born on August 3, 2000, Dallinga  began his career a little further south in Emmen and played a handful of top-team games for them in the second tier in 2017-18 when still a very raw teenager. A switch to Groningen – former club of the likes of Ronald Koeman, Luis Suárez and Virgil van Dijk – followed but he only managed seven top-team appearances for them in the 2020-21 campaign.

Dallinga therefore realised that he might need to step back down a level in order to make a name for himself. He duly did that in 2021 when he signed for Excelsior of Rotterdam, a club who have spent the last two decades yo-yoing between the top two divisions in the Netherlands.

There he was an instant success, scoring 25 goals in the first 20 games of the league campaign, including four-goal hauls in two separate matches. He would finish the season as the Eerste Divisie’s top marksman on 32 goals and netted four more in the play-offs, via which Excelsior won promotion to the top flight. In the second leg of the final against Den Haag, he scored a stoppage-time equaliser as Excelsior came back from 3-0 down. It went to extra time before they prevailed in a penalty shoot-out.

Dallinga could now look forward to proving himself in the top flight again, but his form inevitably attracted interest from elsewhere. It was still always going to take a gamble for a bigger club to move for him, especially one from abroad. Yet Toulouse, with a reputation for studiously using data analysis to pick out potential signings and with a keen eye for players in leagues around Europe, decided to swoop. Amid reports they might lose Rhys Healey, the Englishman who was their top scorer as they won promotion from Ligue 2 last season, TFC secured Dallinga’s signature for a reported fee of €2.5 million.

Style of play:

Dallinga is a typical number nine who likes to find space in between defenders in the penalty box, where he scores the majority of his goals. He is not the tallest, but he is astute at making runs in front of, or in behind, defenders and at sniffing around for a rebound in the area. His first goal in Ligue 1 Uber Eats came on his debut against OGC Nice, when he sneaked in behind Dante and got the deftest of touches to a cross.

Current campaign:

Any doubts about Dallinga’s ability to handle the step up appeared to be dismissed as he scored two goals in his first three Ligue 1 appearances. After his debut goal against OGC Nice, Dallinga netted again in a 2-2 draw with FC Lorient in Round 3. A barren spell followed, however, as he failed to score in any of his next 10 appearances.

Nevertheless, TFC coach Philippe Montanier kept faith in his frontman, and he got back among the goals in a 2-1 defeat at Stade Rennais FC just before the interruption to the season for the World Cup. Dallinga scored in friendly action during his team’s mid-season training camp in Turkey and he has really found his feet – and his shooting boots – in 2023.

He has scored six goals in the last six games as Toulouse have started to click into gear. The first two of those goals came against lower-league side Lannion in the Coupe de France. Dallinga then came off the bench to net the final goal in a 5-0 demolition of AJ Auxerre. He was absolutely decisive last weekend against RC Strasbourg Alsace, scoring twice as his team came back to win 2-1, and he then scored the equaliser as they came roaring back from behind again to defeat ESTAC Troyes 4-1 in midweek.

Nine goals in 17 starts for his new club - before the Round 22 trip to Paris Saint-Germain - is a very encouraging return.

What you may not know:

Dallinga has admitted that Toulouse first approached him before they had even secured promotion back to Ligue 1 at the end of last season. They had clearly been doing their homework.

International career:

He earned quick recognition by his country after moving to France. Dallinga was called up to the Netherlands Under-21 squad and made his debut in the category in a friendly against Belgium last September before playing again against Romania a few days later, coming on for the former Bayern Munich striker Joshua Zirkzee.

What he said:

“The club contacted me quite early, before they had even secured promotion. I started to follow them a bit more closely to see how they were getting on, but it’s true that it was a surprise. Toulouse were not really part of my career plan. It is always funny to find out what clubs show an interest in you.”

Speaking to La Depêche about how he ended up at Toulouse.

“They helped me and my girlfriend a lot in the beginning. They took us everywhere, they helped us if we had problems, so we had help integrating into the club and the city. They have become friends in a short period of time. It helps you as a player and as a person to feel good on the pitch and off the pitch and a big part of that is thanks to them.”

On how Dutch teammates Branco van den Boomen and Stijn Spierings helped him settle after he arrived at Le Stadium.

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