Michael Reiziger backs Sean Steur for big Newcastle future after €23.5m move

Newcastle United may have secured one of the Netherlands' most promising midfield talents in Sean Steur, with Michael Reiziger offering a glowing assessment of the teenager's potential.

Steur joined Newcastle from Ajax for €23.5million during the summer despite having made only 26 first-team appearances for the Dutch giants.

The 18-year-old has experienced an understandably mixed introduction to Premier League football under Matthias Jaissle, but his impressive performance in Newcastle's 2-1 victory over Hull City provided another glimpse of why the club invested so heavily in him.

Netherlands U21 manager Reiziger knows Steur well and believes playing regularly at Newcastle can accelerate his development.

“Sean joined the Ajax first team last year and performed well, though it often alternated between playing a match and sitting on the bench,” Reiziger told Voetbal International.

“And now Sean is continuing to develop at Newcastle; it’s great to see.”

Steur has already been exposed to the demands of the Premier League, including a difficult performance against Leeds before responding positively against Hull.

Reiziger believes those experiences are particularly valuable given his age.

“The fact that he’s already playing so much at the highest level in the best league in the world – for a club that is highly regarded there, too – is really impressive for his age,” he added.

Reiziger's assessment goes beyond simply praising Steur's potential.

“Sean is the kind of player you don’t see very often,” the former Netherlands international said.

He highlighted Steur's ability to read matches, remain composed in possession and influence the positioning of players around him.

“He reads the game, has drive, is composed on the ball, and can really take charge of the game.”

Reiziger witnessed those qualities during Steur's breakthrough at Ajax, particularly his willingness to direct more experienced teammates in order to create space.

The challenge now is consistency. Reiziger believes increasing Steur's minutes at Newcastle will make him stronger, and Jaissle's willingness to use the teenager suggests there should be opportunities for that development to continue.

Steur will look to build on his encouraging performance against Hull when Newcastle return to club action.

With Jaissle overseeing a young and heavily rebuilt squad, the Dutch midfielder should have further opportunities to establish himself and justify Newcastle's substantial investment.