Rowan Besselink is a 21-year-old centre-back from the Netherlands who plays for De Graafschap in the Eerste Divisie. He plays as the right centre-back in a back four and is around 191 centimetres tall. After his fourth season, Besselink played more than 80 games in the Eerste Divisie, the second division of Netherlands. The Dutch centerback looks more than ready for a step up in his career.

Besselink involves himself often in aerial duel at defensive set pieces and tracks opponents who drop deeper for the ball with good consistency. He intercepts passes well during the same process as well. He can step in slightly too early during counterattacks, particularly when an opponent is trying to push him wide. However, when an opponent cuts inside instead he’s better at staying in front of him and stepping in then. He can regularly move to a wider position, and he does good work to cut off the goal or block passing and crossing lanes. Sliding tackles are rare for him, and not particularly effective when he does attempt one as his timing of them isn’t the best. When he’s closer to his own box, he’s rather reactive waiting for the right moment to engage, but when positioned higher up the pitch he can step in and press much more quickly. His one-on-one defending is decent, even when he doesn’t come away with the ball he often forces the attacker into a difficult spot. He plays mostly zonal coverage rather than marking one specific man, and he and his centre-back partner switch responsibilities well when tracking an opponent. His off-the-ball movement is also a plus, whether it’s creating space for himself or vacating it for a teammate. He also tries to put his leg in from behind or the side of an opponent to poke the ball away. The timing on standing tackles is quite good, but could be more consistent as well.

In possession, Besselink is a regular target at attacking set pieces. Although he needs to win more of his aerial duels in those situations, as heading in front of goal is at the moment rather mediocre despite getting into good positions, even for headed passes. He shoots more often than he heads at goal, but his shots are rather inaccurate, blocked. And when he shoots, it’s mostly from outside the box. He can retain possession well after getting pressed by an opponent and he can dribble effectively out of tight areas. His first touch under pressure could be more controlled, as it’s too firm at times. He is capable of carrying the ball forward on progressive runs, typically covering 15 to 35 meters. Under pressure, he often opts for the simple pass, frequently backwards, and while he can dribble past an opponent, he rarely chooses to. He can be prone to mistakes when pressed, whether a misplaced pass or a bad firs touch. His long-distance passing is good, mostly directed diagonally out to the winger rather than over the top of the defense. His consistency on long passes could be improved though, definitely on passes that go over the defensive line. His vision for progressive short passing is a strength, regularly finding an open teammate in midfield and his overall positioning is good.

Besselink is around 191 centimeters tall and has a mesomorphic body build, with good width through his shoulders and body. His arms and legs aren’t especially heavily muscled. Besselink’s jumping reach is solid, and with a run-up he can climb well above most opponents. He prefers to go into the duel from behind his man in aerial duels and also looks comfortable in shoulder-to-shoulder jumps. Lower aerial duels where there is no need to jump is something what he could improve at. He can lose his composure a little when there’s contact during an aerial duel, sometimes losing the duel or his balance as a result. His positioning and reading of the ball in the air are strong, consistently finding the right spot, but he could still add a bit more physicality to how he contests those duels. In ground duels, he uses his body well, holding off an opponent in front of him before turning away into space to play a pass. He has good power in his shoulders and legs, allowing him to push opponents off the ball effectively, especially after a run-up, and he regularly uses his arms to help him in physical battles. His agility isn’t the best, but it’s decent for his height, and his turning speed is a genuine strength. His acceleration is good for a defender, his top speed only average, though he holds his own over shorter distances, and his balance is generally good.

Tactically, Besselink can be visibly frustrated when an opponent goes down easily from a challenge and wins a foul. He can occasionally exchange words with the opponent and react after picking up a card. However, he doesn’t tend to engage with the referee directly. He is willing to drop wide to cover for a full-back and provides good defensive depth. He’s comfortable holding the line as the lone centre-back when required. He is almost exclusively right-footed in his passing, using his left foot mainly for dribbling or a simple first touch, and turning to his right foot whenever another option is available.

Rowan Besselink is a physically imposing, aerially capable centre-back with good passing abilities and composure to build attacks from the back. His defensive instincts, positioning, and willingness to engage in duels leave a good presence while defending. He needs more minutes at a higher level in my opinion, so a move to the Belgian Jupiler Pro League or the Dutch Eredivisie looks like the best option right now. That’s also where his level is potentially in my opinion, possibly at some teams that touch European football spots regularly.