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Tijjani Reijnders: How to unlock not 1 but 2 defensive lines.

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Tijjani Reijnders’ arrival at Manchester City in June 2025 feels like the culmination of one of football’s most compelling journeys: a Dutch midfielder once stacking supermarket shelves now pulling the strings in Pep Guardiola’s midfield. 

Watch the crispness of his passing, the way he scans the pitch before the ball even arrives. Like all top midfielders, he makes the game look simple—but that simplicity hides thousands of hours of training, setbacks, and the mental strength to turn rejection into motivation. 

 

1st Person view chip/loft pass by Reijnders

Centre midfield of the pitch 40 yards out. Keep the ball close, their Centre midfielders are closing.  Haaland has run beyond their defence on the left, he's not on. Lewis is in the hole behind to the right but blocked for a pass.    


Ok here they come, closing in together, but they're square on to each other and have left a hole between them I can punch through. Angle my body to play a pass to the right and quickly swivel into a toe tap off my left foot and run between the two of them. Exciting! - I'm through.  


Keep running forward and keep close control. Stay strong on my left arm to shield the ball. Lewis is making a move in behind the defence towards the box on my right. Just need a nice chip to lift it over their central defender. Step my left foot close to the side of the ball, just ahead of its roll. Now punch my right foot under the ball with heel back to wedge under the ball, with little follow through. Away the ball lifts fast in a looping motion. The angle takes it inside the box to the right and away from the keeper in the goal. Lewis makes it after the bounce and before it runs out of play, crosses for Haaland to score with a tap in.   


This is a fantastic example of a midfield player unlocking not just the defensive midfield but the defensive line as well with a piece of individual footwork drive and strength, combined with a sublime executed chip/loft pass.  


Early Years 

Born on July 29, 1998, in Zwolle, Netherlands, Reijnders began his football story at local club WVF Zwolle, learning the basics with the freedom of street football and grassroots competition. By 2007 he joined PEC Zwolle’s academy, before earning a move to FC Twente in 2011. 

That was where his first big setback came. Released at under-17 level, Reijnders could easily have faded into obscurity. Instead, he sharpened his focus with a year at CSV ’28 and then returned to PEC Zwolle, where he earned his first taste of professional football. In August 2017, he made his Eredivisie debut for PEC as a late substitute—just a glimpse, but enough to prove he belonged. 

  

Breakthrough with AZ Alkmaar 

Later that year, AZ Alkmaar snapped him up. Initially assigned to Jong AZ, he toiled in the reserves, quietly building his game. A loan at RKC Waalwijk in 2019–20 gave him much-needed experience, and when he returned to AZ, he was ready. 

By the 2022–23 season, Reijnders was a lynchpin in midfield—press resistant, progressive in possession, and central to AZ’s run to the Europa Conference League semi-finals. Dutch observers started drawing comparisons to Kevin De Bruyne, not for identical style, but for the way Reijnders seemed to see the whole field before others did. 

  

AC Milan Stage 

In July 2023, Reijnders made the leap to AC Milan, signing a five-year deal. Many doubted whether he could adapt quickly to Serie A’s tactical demands, but he silenced critics with commanding performances, scoring his first Milan goal by November. 

By 2024 he had been named Serie A’s Best Midfielder and featured in the Team of the Season, all while helping Milan lift the Supercoppa Italiana. What stood out most was his adaptability—whether sitting deep, orchestrating, or driving forward, he adjusted seamlessly. 

  

Manchester City Arrival 

Then came the next step: Manchester City, June 2025. A five-year deal, and as well as this brilliant set up for Haaland's goal his own debut goal in a 4–0 win over Wolves, and the feeling that he could become the heir to De Bruyne’s creative throne. For a boy who once worked shifts at Aldi to fund his dream, it’s a staggering rise. 

 

Lessons for Aspiring Players 

Resilience: Being released at 17 could have ended his career, but Reijnders used it as fuel. Every young player should understand rejection isn’t the end—it’s often the beginning. 

Work Ethic: From Aldi shifts to Jong AZ, he put in the unseen hours, improving bit by bit until opportunity finally met preparation. 

Mindset: He once said his inspiration came from watching De Bruyne scan the pitch constantly—proof that studying the game is as vital as playing it. His mantra is clear: progress through persistence. 

 Tijjani Reijnders’ journey is a reminder that footballing dreams are rarely linear. Sometimes the shelves you’re stacking today are just part of the foundation for the grand stage you’ll command tomorrow. 


One2Pro: 

The use of video with a coach review is fantastic for honing skills and performance. In our One2Pro online coaching app, "Techniques of the Stars" are broken down step-by-step for players to follow and practice. 

Download and subscribe to work with your One2Pro coach on all 92 skills. 

Be the One!  

Aaron Tighe 

Founder, One2Pro 

 

*What It Takes. Available on major retailers in hardcopy, eBook and audio. 

 

 
 
 

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