Samuel Gomez van Hoogen hosted De Frederik on Tuesday night. The 18-year-old defender made his debut for PSV 1 against Royal HFC (8-0 victory). He was presented with the memento after the game.
Samuel has played for PSV Academy since the age of 11, where he started in the JO12-1. The talented central defender made the move from Lierse SK to PSV's youth academy in 2017 and has since gone through all youth teams. Earlier this season he made his first minutes in professional football, at Young PSV. But Tuesday night he experienced his big moment by making his debut for the main squad in a full Philips Stadium. It hasn't quite sunk in for him yet: "Unimaginable. I had been looking forward to being there all day. And then to make my debut... I've been with this club for so long, that makes it extra beautiful. It really was a special moment."
The Frederick
Samuel is the third rookie to receive the Frederik. Previously, Matteo Dams and Michael Bresser received the memento of their debuts. The Frederik is an award for Academy players who make their debut for the main squad. In cooperation with GoodHabitz, PSV launched the prize this summer. This way, players from their own academy receive a nice memento of their first minutes for the A-selection.