Luc Castaignos scored three goals at the 2009 U17 European Championship but the 16-year-old could have scored more though he did emerge as one of the continent's top striker talents.
Move To U17
In May 2008 Castaignos was nominated to the Netherlands' U16 national extended roster as a 15-year-old. And in February the 16-year-old became a Dutch U17 international.
11 Goals In 14 Games - Passes Jan Vennegoor Of Hesselink
Since the move to the U17 side, Castaignos, who was born on September 27, 1992, has been a scoring machine. His three goals from the 2009 U17 European Championship in Germany increased his total to 11 goals in 14 games for the Dutch U17 team. That total surpassed the previous record of 10 held jointly by Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Geoffrey Castillion and Collins John.
Runners-Up In Germany
At the 2009 U17 European Championship in May, Castaignos scored in the 2-1 semi-final victory over Switzerland to help the Netherlands into the U17 final. He also opened the scoring in the final against Germany after just seven minutes. Castaignos then blasted the post in the 22nd minute before Germany equalized in the first half and won the game in extra time 2-1 for the title
Joint Top Scorer
Castaignos's three goals tied him with Germany's Lennart Thy but Castaignos hit the woodwork two other times in the tournament, so he could have had more. During the European U17 Championship season, Castaignos has tallied six goals - one behind leader Muhamet Demir with seven and tied with compatriot Shabir Isoufi and Michal Jonczyk of Poland.
Three-Year Deal With Feyenoord
Castaignos, who has French roots, started his football with provincial club Spartaan '20 and moved onto the youth club of Excelsior '20. Then on October 30, 2008, he signed a three-year professional contract with his favorite club Feyenoord Rotterdam.
Feyenoord Connection With U17s
Castaignos was not the only player at the U17s from Feyenoord. The Rotterdam has taken over Ajax Amsterdam as the main supplier with seven Feyenoord players on the U17 team in Germany - Castaignos, Isoufi, Nigel Velder, Osama Rashid, Mats van Huijgevoort, Ryan Bouwmeester and Stefan de Vrij.
Main Strength Is Pace
Castaignos has plenty of tools for the making of a star. Along with his height, his strength and his finishing ability, his pace is his biggest strength. "He has an excellent game in the air. But when the ball is played into the area, he cannot be stopped. He is so explosive. Luc is a real goal scorer," Dutch U17 coach Albert Stuivenberg told the German sports internet portal Spox.com on May 12, 2009. Stuivenberg said that Castaignos still needs to work a bit on his left foot.
Comparisons To Thierry Henry
Many Dutch internet forums have been filling up with posts comparing Castaignos to Barcelona star striker Thierry Henry. Stuivenberg admitted that there is a bit of similarity with the French ace. "His style of play has something in common with Henry. Some of his teammates have compared him to Henry because he not only plays like him but also looks like him a bit," added the Dutch coach.
