Rajiv van la Parra, a young player who have been booed and cheered in his period at SC Heerenveen. From Feyenoord to SM Caen and back to Holland. The versatile winger has seen it all, and he is just getting started with his career. Now he starts for Wolverhampton Wanderers, but what of kind player is he? Martijn Hilhorst reveals all.
‘Pacey’ is the first quality that comes to mind. He is a typical winger who will use his psychical superiority to defeat his opponent. At the ball he is not (yet) brilliant. A bit turbulent but when he runs past you there is no stopping him. In the last couple of years we produce a lot of this type of players in Holland. Pacey, but not that brilliant in possession. There have been tons of players with his qualities who have failed their career because of this, but he could be something different.
Where most of those players were limited to one side of the pitch Rajiv has no problem playing on both wings. This due the fact that he has a powerful shot and he has the tactical flexibility. Wolves manager Kenny Jackett already said this: “I don’t like my wide men to just stay out there. I want them to come inside and get shots in. Their role is assists and goals”. A task you can give the 23-year old.
He started at Feyenoord and when he was 17-years old he could leave them for Chelsea, Manchester City and so on, but he chose for a career at SM Caen because he wanted to play every week in the Ligue 1. Soon enough it became clear that he wasn’t ready for this and he then mostly played his matched for the second squad in the Championnat de France. From now on a path Van la Parra could choose is the one Marvin Emnes took. From being a player who didn’t stand out that much to being sold for a transfer fee around four million to Middlesbrough. He was a great player for the Championship around that time and now a few years later he is a player at Swansea.
But Rajiv is still a player who is not one with perfect behaviour, he has been disciplined more than once in his career and somewhere in 2013 he drank too much alcohol and still went behind the wheel. But the circumstances in his career are not great as well. In the previous season he was booed several occasions by the Heerenveen fans and he then said: ‘Before I even touched a ball they started to boo, it is something I have to deal with. But it motivates me even more’.
Van la Parra will prove this season that he is footballer with still a huge potential. With him on the left or right the Wolves have a position that will not require any replacements within the first couple of seasons. And with the right practice and experience Rajiv could make it to the Premier League. There already was a RvP in England and now also a RvlP!
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