Erik ten Hag heaps praise on 'ruthless' Jurrien Timbers

Dutch manager Erik ten Hag has heaped praise on his fellow Dutch counterpart Jurrien Timbers, calling the Arsenal defender an absolute “ruthless” soldier.

Jurrien Timber has become one of Arsenal’s most important players since he arrived from Ajax in July 2023 for an initial transfer fee of £34m.

He suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury on his Premier League debut, ruling him out almost all of last season as a result.

The 23-year-old has been incredible in both full-back positions since his arrival – especially at right-back following Ben White’s injury.

Timber was outstanding against Real Madrid and limited Madrid’s front men from any threat against their goal – especially his duel with Vinicius Junior without any trouble on Tuesday night.

Jurrien Timbers was an absolute menace against Real Madrid Arsenal’s 3-0 win in the UCL(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Speaking to De Telegraaf, ten Hag, who previously managed him at Ajax, said in a conversation:

“To be honest, I was watching Bayern Munich-Internazionale, but of course, I have seen the summary.

“This season, I have seen many games of Arsenal, so the lead role of Jurrien does not surprise me.

“You can send Timber, both the Timbers [Jurrien and his twin brother Quinten] by the way, for a message.

“Jurrien is a soldier. Ruthless, and he knows that in top football, it is ‘eat or be eaten’. That’s how he stands. He is proactive, doesn’t wait around.”

The defender has played in both full-back positions, performing tremendously every time despite hardly getting a break due to Arsenal’s injury problems.